Department for Transport

Aviation: Coronavirus

Andrew Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to support (a) Gatwick airport and (b) the aviation sector more widely following the closure of travel corridors until 15 February 2021.

Robert Courts: The Government recognises the challenging times facing the aviation sector due to Covid-19. The sector is crucial to the UK’s economy and businesses across the sector can draw on the unprecedented package of economic measures that have been put in place during this time. This includes a Bank of England scheme for firms to raise capital (CCFF), business interruption loan guarantee schemes, Time to Pay flexibilities with tax bills, and financial support for employees (the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme). Overall, we estimate that the air transport sector will have received around £2.5 to £3bn of support through the CCFF and Job Retention Scheme by the end of March 2021. The Government also recently announced the Airports and Ground Operators’ Support Scheme (AGOSS) and the Test to Release scheme, both of which will benefit the sector. AGOSS will provide support for eligible businesses, up to the equivalent of their business rates liabilities in the 2020/21 financial year, subject to certain conditions and a cap per claimant of £8m. Finally, if businesses across the sector find themselves in severe and urgent financial difficulties as a result of Covid-19, even following the Government’s cross-economy interventions, then the Government remains open to discussions about bespoke financial support but only as a last resort.

Roads: Noise

Andrew Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress his Department has made on its assessment of the results of acoustic camera trials.

Rachel Maclean: The Department’s initial trials of a prototype acoustic camera have concluded. The Government anticipates the results will be published in the spring following a re-phasing of the work due to pressures arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Motorcycles: Training

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 15 January 2021 to Question 136074 on Motorcycles: Training, if he will make it his policy to provide critical workers who cannot work from home with an extension of the two-year Compulsory Basic Training (CBT) period before they are required to take a full moped or motorcycle test or their CBT again to cover the period when full tests and CBT tests are unavailable due to restrictions to prevent the transmission of covid-19; and if he will make a statement.

Rachel Maclean: Compulsory Basic Training (CBT) helps to ensure riders can ride safely on their own while they prepare to take the full moped or motorcycle test. It is the expectation motorcycle riders will go on and take their full test within two years. If they do not take the motorcycle test within this timeframe, they will need to renew their CBT. Rider safety is vital as they are one of our most vulnerable groups of road users. Taking a motorcycle test or renewing their CBT ensures they have the basic skills to be safe.

Department for Transport: Climate Change Convention

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many departmental staff will be attending COP26 in an official capacity with their expenses covered.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The number of Department for Transport staff that will be attending COP26 in an official capacity has not yet been confirmed. Expenses will be paid in line with the Department's guidance.

Driving Licences: Internet

Matthew Pennycook: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he plans to take to enable members of the public to change the name on their driving licence online.

Rachel Maclean: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency must verify that the information supporting changes of name is genuine and appropriate before amending the driving licence record and issuing a licence. This is to safeguard the integrity of the records it holds.There are currently no plans to introduce an online service.

A34: Oxfordshire

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department will publish the latest timetable for the construction of the Lodge Hill diamond junction of the A34 in Abingdon.

Rachel Maclean: The Department is not in the lead on this project, which is being promoted and progressed by Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) and funded by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Highways England is working closely with OCC on the design and modelling of this interchange.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Consumer Goods

Angela Crawley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps the Government is taking to counter the practice of intentionally shortening the lifespan of consumer products through planned obsolescence.

Paul Scully: Subject to the outcome of two public consultations, later this year, the Government plans to introduce ecodesign measures that promote the repairability of consumer products, such as household fridges, washing machines and televisions, in order to increase their lifespan. These measures aim to improve the resource efficiency of energy related products and this will include ensuring that spare parts are available for a minimum of seven years after the placing of new products on the market. They will also ensure that parts can be replaced with the use of commonly available tools, tackling premature obsolescence. We are also seeking powers through the Environment Bill that will enable government to require products to carry information for example relating to product lifetimes, durability and reparability. Our forthcoming world class energy-related products framework will push products to use even less energy and material resources, in order to reduce carbon emissions and consumer bills, and improve resource productivity.

Space Technology

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of representations from industry to develop a sovereign space-based positioning, navigation and timing capability on the UK's space capability.

Amanda Solloway: The Government’s Space-Based Positioning Navigation and Timing Programme (SBPP) is exploring innovative and alternative ways of delivering vital satellite navigation and timing services to the UK. These services are critical for electricity networks, communications systems, and the maritime, aviation and defence sectors, as well as for getting from A to B. In October a ‘Request for Information’ consultation was opened with industry and academia to ensure the right space-based solutions are explored by the new programme. This has now closed, we are grateful for the inputs received and are now considering this feedback that will set out approach and workstreams going forward. Once approved, the SBPP Pre-Market Engagement strategy will set out the next steps and timings for engagement with and the opportunities for industry in 2021. Further details will be shared as soon as possible. This work will boost the UK’s already thriving space industry and expertise, whilst paving the way for a more ’Global Britain’, with greater independence from foreign systems.

Space Technology

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of the recommendation from industry to integrate military and civil space operations into a National Space Operations Centre to jointly operate key national infrastructure and maximise data sharing on the UK's space capability.

Amanda Solloway: The Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy will consider the ways in which our international and national security strategy must evolve as the world changes. This will include an assessment of the space capabilities needed by the UK in the future.

Government Assistance: EU Law

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the requirements to report state aid support to the EU.

Paul Scully: EU State aid rules no longer apply to subsidies granted from 1 January 2021 in the UK. The only exception is aid within scope of the Withdrawal Agreement, specifically Article 10 of the Northern Ireland Protocol and Article 138 in relation to aid for EU programmes and activities within the Multiannual Financial Framework. The UK must provide the EU with details of aid granted under either of these two limited circumstances on an annual basis and in line with the relevant transparency obligations for individual awards. The UK will also fulfil its obligations to provide details of aid granted before the end of the transition period. The UK has committed to transparency obligations within the subsidies chapter of the UK/EU Trade and Co-operation Agreement. These obligations will be met through a new publicly accessible transparency database which will be available in due course.

Business: Coronavirus

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, for what reason his Department's policy is to comply with EU state-aid rules regarding the eligibility of large retailers for the Government’s £4.6bn emergency covid-19 grant scheme.

Paul Scully: Subsidies must instead meet the terms of the EU-UK Trade and Co-operation Agreement (TCA) as well as the other Free Trade Agreements we have reached with the rest of the world and our WTO commitments. The State aid Temporary Framework provisions set out in previous iterations of local authority grant support guidance should still be applied to these schemes until further guidance on domestic subsidy control related to these schemes is issued.  The Government has put forward an unprecedented package of business support throughout the pandemic. In situations where businesses are not able to access grants, they may be able to access other support including the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the loan schemes that have been made available.

Business: Coronavirus

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of which EU state-aid rules prevent large retailers from claiming more support from the Government’s £4.6bn emergency covid-19 grant scheme.

Paul Scully: Subsidies must instead meet the terms of the EU-UK Trade and Co-operation Agreement (TCA) as well as the other Free Trade Agreements we have reached with the rest of the world and our WTO commitments. The State aid Temporary Framework provisions set out in previous iterations of local authority grant support guidance should still be applied to these schemes until further guidance on domestic subsidy control related to these schemes is issued. The Government has put forward an unprecedented package of business support throughout the pandemic. In situations where businesses are not able to access grants, they may be able to access other support including the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the loan schemes that have been made available.

Wellington Pub Company: Coronavirus

Duncan Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the trading difficulties leaseholders operating under the Wellington Pub chain are experiencing; and what support his Department is providing to Wellington pub tenants.

Paul Scully: Over the course of the pandemic, the Government has worked closely with the pubs and hospitality sector to understand the impact of COVID-19 on their businesses and has responded with a substantial package of business support. We keep all restrictions under constant review.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many doses of the (a) Pfizer-BioNTech and (b) Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine are physically present in the UK and being held in storage, yet to be deployed or prepared for delivery.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Government has procured 40 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech and 100 million doses of the Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccines. The UK was the first country in the world to start a vaccination programme using these vaccines. As of 26 January 2021, over 6.85 million people across the UK have been vaccinated with the first dose of the vaccine. We continue to work to meet our target of vaccinating all four priority groups by 15 February. Vaccines are a precious resource in very high demand across the world; therefore, for security reasons it is not possible to provide detail about the size of our supplies and exact detail about deliveries.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many UK based manufacturing facilities are capable of re-engineering and manufacturing (a) mRNA, (b) viral vector, (c) whole virus and (d) protein subunit vaccines to address emerging variants of the covid-19 virus.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Government has made several strategic investments in UK vaccine manufacturing capabilities to increase its capacity, ensuring we are able to manufacture across different vaccine technologies and embed resilience. This includes: The acceleration and expansion of flexible vaccine manufacturing capabilities at the UK’s first Vaccine Manufacturing and Innovation Centre (VMIC) in Harwell.Collaborating with the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult to fund a state-of-the-art Manufacturing Innovation Centre in Braintree.Expansion of the Valneva factory in Livingston, Scotland, which is capable of whole virus manufacture. Both the VMIC and Braintree sites are flexible to vaccine types, including messenger RNA (mRNA), viral vector, and protein sub-unit. These sites could have a role in providing capability to manufacture vaccines to address the emerging variants of the COVID-19 virus. The Government has also invested through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to support the creation of a new Centre of Excellence in mRNA vaccine manufacture at the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI), with equipment that can manufacture mRNA for vaccines. This funding has upgraded CPI’s National Biologics Manufacturing Centre at Darlington to obtain good manufacturing practice certification for the manufacture of RNA products including mRNA for clinical trials. A key advantage of RNA vaccines is how quickly they can be developed compared with other platforms.

Contact Tracing: Computer Software

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 19 January 2021 to Question 135888 on Contact Tracing: Computer Software, if he will make it his policy to update the safer working guidance section on supporting NHS Test and Trace, to include guidance that employers should not instruct employees to turn off the NHS track and trace app when in work, unless there are health and safety grounds for doing so; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Scully: Whilst the NHS track and trace app is not mandatory, employers should not discourage their employees from using it in the workplace. There are, however, some scenarios where the contact tracing feature should be turned off. These are when:someone is working behind a Perspex (or equivalent) screen;a phone is in storage, such as in a work locker;working in a clinical setting practising infection prevention and control.As set out in the Safer Working Guidance, in order to ensure workplaces are Covid-19 secure, employers must have an alternative system in place for people who either do not have a smartphone or do who not want to use the NHS Covid-19 app.

Question

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 15 January 2021 to Question 132902, whether it is his Department's policy that pricing strategies are a matter for businesses that are in a dominant position.

Paul Scully: The Competition Act 1998 prohibits abuse of a dominant position – abusive behaviour can relate to pricing strategies, for example excessive pricing or setting artificially low prices to stifle competition. The Competition and Markets Authority is responsible for investigating individual and market-wide competition issues in the UK. The Government has ensured that the CMA has significant powers to investigate and act if it finds that companies are behaving anti-competitively in a market.

Iron and Steel: Port Talbot

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the effect of higher carbon levies on steelmaking in Port Talbot.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with the Welsh Government on the effect of higher carbon levies on steelmaking in Port Talbot.

Paul Scully: The Government has introduced a UK Emissions Trading Scheme, enabling steelmakers, and others in industry, to use markets to decarbonise in a cost-effective way. The Department works closely with both HM Treasury and the Devolved Administrations on this Scheme. The Government recognises the important role that the UK steel industry plays in keeping our economy moving and growing post COVID-19, and has therefore put in place a package of ongoing measures to support it during this challenging time and beyond. This includes more than £500 million in relief since 2013 to make the sector’s electricity costs more competitive.

Retail Trade: Coronavirus

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the equity of non-essential retail being permitted in supermarkets whilst independent non-essential retail stores are not permitted to open during the national covid-19 lockdown that has been in place since January 2021.

Paul Scully: The Government recognises how important it is for businesses to be able continue operating during these very challenging times, which is why all shops are able to operate click-and-collect (where goods are pre-ordered and collected off the premises) and delivery services. For businesses remaining open, mixed retail principles set out in the guidance apply to all retailers, and businesses are expected to close sufficiently distinct sections.

Public Houses: Coronavirus

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make it his policy to support a roadmap to recovery for the pub and brewing sector to provide (a) financial and fiscal support throughout 2021 and (b) proportional easing of covid-19 restrictions for that sector at the earliest opportunity.

Paul Scully: Over the course of the pandemic, the Government has worked closely with the hospitality sector to understand the impact of COVID-19 on their businesses and has responded with a substantial package of business support. We keep all restrictions under constant review.

Attorney General

Attorney General: Databases

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Attorney General, pursuant to the Answer of 21 January to Question 138966, how many information gateways for the purposes of sharing data his Department has.

Michael Ellis: The Attorney General’s Office does not hold a central list of all information sharing gateways available to it. Each information gateway will have its own management and governance requirements and will have to comply with the Data Protection Legislation.

Department of Health and Social Care

Gender Recognition: Young People

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve waiting times for trans young people to access safe and supportive medical care.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: North East

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reasons the North East and Yorkshire region's covid-19 vaccine supply via primary care is planned to be halved next week.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to review the decision to change the dosing schedule for the Pfizer/ BioNTech covid-19 vaccine.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Children

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many children aged (a) under one, (b) one, (c) two, (d) three, (e) four and (f) five years have received a covid-19 test; and what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the sample size on significance in the data sets in identifying the prevalence of covid-19.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Wales

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what representations he has received from the Welsh Government in relation to basing the supply of covid-19 vaccines to Wales on relative need as opposed to a population share.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Ophthalmic Services: Databases

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking in response to the Getting It Right First Time national report on ophthalmology, which concluded that there are notable gaps in the (a) collection and (b) utilisation of data by the NHS in ophthalmology.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Ophthalmic Services: Databases

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of NHS Trusts providing eyecare services routinely submit data to the National Ophthalmology Database; and if he will amend the NHS Mandate to require that all relevant Trusts submit to that database.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Sir Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that (a) elderly people and (b) people with underlying health conditions who are housebound receive the covid-19 vaccine in a timely manner within their home; and if he will make a statement.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Health Services: Police

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the security from covid-19 transmission of Police Treatment Centres.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Health Services: Police

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what (a) support and (b) covid-19 safety guidance his Department has provided to Police Treatment Centres, which operate as healthcare providers to injured and ill police officers, to allow them to remain open during covid-19 lockdown periods.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Brain: Tumours

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support research into low-grade gliomas.

Edward Argar: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Mental Health Services: Mothers

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of the £19 million spent in capital in 2020 on central programmes to support mental health services was spent on schemes to deliver Perinatal Mental Health Mother and Baby Units.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Brain: Tumours

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of research into low-grade gliomas in each of the last five years.

Edward Argar: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Secure Psychiatric Units

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 21 January to Question 136451 on Secure Psychiatric Units, how many assaults there were on (a) staff and (b) patients in each local authority area from 2018 to 2020.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Care Homes: Coronavirus

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps with care home providers to develop guidance on how care home should operate as staff and residents receive covid-19 vaccination.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Nurses: Coronavirus

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of providing payments to student nurses conducting shifts on covid-19 hospital wards.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Oxygen: Blood Tests

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the accuracy of oxygen blood level tests such as pulse oximeters in patients with darker skins.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Protective Clothing

Liz Twist: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the (a) comparative effectiveness against covid-19 of generic face coverings versus face masks with FFP3 protection and (b) potential merits of supplying FFP3 face masks to the general populace.

Jo Churchill: Public Health England (PHE) has studied the evidence on the efficacy of different types of face coverings, and some of these studies have compared face coverings with surgical masks, although not specifically FFP3s. This evidence, from laboratory studies, suggests that face coverings made of materials such as cotton and polyester materials might block droplets with a filtering efficiency similar to medical masks when folded in two or three layers. The PHE rapid review on this topic is available at the following link:https://phe.koha-ptfs.co.uk/cgi-bin/koha/opac-retrieve-file.pl?id=5f043ca658db1188ffae74827fa650d9FFP3s are classed as personal protective equipment (PPE), which is used by frontline health and social care workers in relevant settings. PHE has published guidance setting out who needs PPE and when, based on United Kingdom clinical expertise and World Health Organization standards. The guidance is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/wuhan-novel-coronavirus-infection-prevention-and-control

Mumps: Disease Control

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to reduce the number of cases of mumps in the UK during the 2019-2021 Parliament.

Jo Churchill: Actions already taken include a measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) catch-up vaccination programme for 10 and 11 year olds delivered through primary care, communications campaigns targeting festival goers and students and local initiatives addressing inequalities in vaccine uptake.Public Health England provides information on the benefits and risks of the MMR vaccine to the public using National Health Service branded leaflets, some of which are available in multiple languages. The leaflets address common questions about the MMR vaccine and encourage parents to have their children vaccinated. The leaflets, designed for use in schools, healthcare centres, accident and emergency departments, hospital wards, walk-in centres and general practices, are available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immunisation#measles,-mumps-and-rubella-(mmr)

Coronavirus: Protective Clothing

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to publish guidance on an approved standard for face coverings for the general public during the covid-19 outbreak.

Jo Churchill: Our guidance, sets out the requirements for face coverings. They should:- cover the nose and mouth while allowing comfortable breathing;- fit comfortably but securely against the side of the face; and- be made of a comfortable and breathable material, such as cotton and ideally include at least two layers of fabric - the World Health Organization recommends three depending on the fabric used.We have not set a standard for a face covering to maximise easy access and compliance with the rules. Members of the public may make their own face covering at home, using readily available textiles that can be washed and reused after every use. We have published guidance online on what materials can be used. Alternatively, face coverings can be purchased with guidance available online which can be accessed beforehand to ensure they are safe. We keep our face covering policy under review, guided by the advice of our scientific and medical experts.

Transform Hospital Group: Coronavirus

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what financial support the Government provided to the Transform Hospital Group to assist with responding to the covid-19 outbreak during the first covid-19 national lockdown in March 2020; and how many covid-19 patients the Transform Hospital Group provided treatment to during that period.

Edward Argar: Under its contract with the Transform Hospital Group, in operation between 23 March – 7 September 2020, NHS England covered Transform’s operating costs in respect of specific clinical facilities, in return for the National Health Service having access to those facilities and services delivered from them. The actual costs recoverable are still being finalised. The Transform Hospital Group did not treat any COVID-19 patients during this period but provided elective activity for NHS patients.

General Practitioners

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate he has made of average GP appointment waiting times in (a) Slough and (b) England in the latest period for which information is available.

Jo Churchill: The information requested is not collected in the format requested.

Members: Correspondence

Mr John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to the letter of 16 September 2020, transferred to the Department of Health and Social Care on 11 November, and chase up letters of 10 December 2020 and 7 January 2021 from the Hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay regarding a constituent with reference JB28732.

Edward Argar: We are working to provide all Members and external correspondents with accurate answers to their correspondence, as well as supporting the Government’s response to the unprecedented challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic.The hon. Member’s letter will be answered as soon as possible.

Gender Recognition: Young People

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that services that support trans young people provide them with medical care to (a) transition or (b) prevent puberty where appropriate.

Jo Churchill: The Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) run by the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust offers psychosocial support to young people, allowing individuals to explore their feelings and wants in a understanding environment, while building an individualised treatment plan.The service is currently undergoing a review led by Dr Hilary Cass, this review is wide ranging in scope and will make recommendations on how to improve the service for its users. Treatment to ‘prevent puberty’ is currently subject to ongoing legal proceedings as such the Department is unable to comment on this.

General Practitioners: Coronavirus

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the availability of GP appointments in (a) Slough and (b) England during the covid-19 outbreak.

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to help increase GP appointment availability in (a) Slough and (b) England.

Jo Churchill: General practitioner (GP) practices have remained open throughout the pandemic, offering face to face appointments to those who need them as well as offering telephone and online consultations. In November 2020, over 25 million appointments took place in England and over 173,900 appointments took place in NHS East Berkshire. The Government has committed to delivering an additional 50 million appointments in general practice per year by 2023/24 and to growing the workforce by 6,000 more doctors and 26,000 more primary care professionals, such as physiotherapists, social prescribers and pharmacists. Alongside increases to staff numbers, NHS England and NHS Improvement are supporting practices to implement remote triage and consultations providing additional choice and flexibility to patients and staff.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data (a) NHS England and (b) his Department holds on the number of patients  admitted to hospital with (a) Crohn’s disease and (b) ulcerative colitis in the last 12 months.

Edward Argar: The information is not held in the format requested.

Coronavirus: Protective Clothing

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the modified guidance from the World Health Organisation that, where available, respirators should be considered for wider use in healthcare settings; and whether he plans to facilitate a wider use of respiratory protective equipment, such as FFP3 respirators, in high risk healthcare settings outside of those procedures designated as aerosol generating.

Jo Churchill: The official guidance ‘COVID-19: Guidance for the remobilisation of services within health and care settings, Infection prevention and control recommendations’ sets out the personal protective equipment (PPE) that is needed in health and care settings.The recommendations in the guidance, which was updated on 21 January, are agreed by an expert group of clinicians and scientists from across all four nations of the United Kingdom, based on the latest clinical evidence and are kept under constant review. They remain aligned with other international agencies including the World Health Organization in the use of PPE, which includes FFP3 respirators or equivalent.The guidance covers all patient facing roles. Its implementation should be underpinned by local risk assessments that take into consideration the patient, environment, procedure and task being undertaken by any member of health care staff. This will include PPE and the use of FFP3 respirators and eye/face protection.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many additional cold chain storage refrigerators capable of safely storing the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine have been (a) ordered, (b) delivered  and (c) deployed by the Government in each month since 1 September 2020.

Nadhim Zahawi: Public Health England (PHE) secured 58 ultra-low temperature (ULT) freezers which provide sufficient storage for approximately five million doses of potential COVID-19 vaccines which require ULT storage. These ULT freezers were in place, commissioned and ready to receive vaccine prior to the commencement of the programme at the beginning of December 2020. The ULT freezers are for PHE to manage the national storage of COVID-19 vaccines which require storage at -70°C. The National Health Service has secured its own ULT freezers to support local storage.PQ141991

Breast Cancer: Screening

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of a public health awareness campaign on checking for breast cancer symptoms for (a) women below the official screening age and (b) all women.

Jo Churchill: A national cancer symptom awareness campaign ran from 9 October to 6 December 2020 aiming to raise awareness amongst adults aged over 50 of common cancer symptoms and encourage people to make an appointment with their general practitioner. The symptoms included an unexplained lump in the breast/armpit area, which can be a sign of breast cancer. While previous campaigns have focused on older audiences, the campaigns use a range of channels including broadcast media, which reached women of all ages.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish (a) daily and (b) weekly updates on the (i) number and (ii) target number of covid-19 vaccine doses administered.

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish a rolling breakdown by region of the number of people who have been vaccinated against covid-19.

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to publish vaccine rollout data.

Imran Ahmad Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to arrange for the publication of covid-19 vaccine uptake data by geographic area.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Department, the National Health Service and Public Health England are committed to providing accurate and timely data in order to improve the transparency of the COVID-19 vaccine programme. Since 24 December 2020, we have published weekly data on the total number of vaccinations among those aged under 80 years old and over in England. From 11 January, daily data for the United Kingdom has been published showing the total number vaccinated to date, including first and second doses.More detailed data of vaccinations by age group and region in England was published on 14 January. This will now be a weekly publication. As the programme develops it is hoped more reliable data will be able to be extracted and published.

Health Services: Reciprocal Arrangements

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many applications for the UK Global Health Insurance Card have been received since the introduction of that scheme.

Edward Argar: The NHS Business Services Authority has received over 38,000 applications for the United Kingdom Global Health Insurance Card since the announcement of the scheme on 11 January 2021.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Apsana Begum: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the second dose of the Pfizer/Biontech covid-19 vaccine will be delayed for healthcare workers beyond the 28 days recommended by the World Health Organisation.

Nadhim Zahawi: Updating the dosing interval is in line with the advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation and is the right thing to do to maximise the impact of the programme and save lives. The Medicines Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has also clarified that for the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, the interval between doses must be at least three weeks.Whilst the National Health Service across the United Kingdom will prioritise giving the first dose of the vaccine to those in the most high-risk groups, everyone will still receive their second dose and this will be within 12 weeks of their first.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the owner of a venue should take to offer that venue as a covid-19 vaccination centre.

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the criteria is for a venue to be considered as a covid-19 vaccination centre.

Nadhim Zahawi: NHS England and NHS Improvement undertake an assessment of all potential sites which may be considered as part of the vaccination programme. This will include size, location, availability, suitability and will include an assessment around accessibility, aligned to the Equality Act 2010. Where there are running costs to be incurred, the site will also be subject to a value for money assessment. Sites will be secured under formal lease or licence. Should venue owners have sites that they wish to put forward for use by the programme, submissions may be made to the Vaccine Taskforce and in conjunction with regional and local teams, an assessment of the offer will then be made.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure people who are housebound receive a covid-19 vaccination.

Nadhim Zahawi: Local vaccination services provide the largest number of locations and are well placed to support our highest risk individuals, many of whom already have a trusted relationship with their local health services. They also coordinate and deliver vaccinations to people who are unable to attend a vaccination site, including visiting care homes, the homes of housebound individuals and other settings such as residential facilities for people with learning disabilities or autism and prisons and to reach vulnerable groups such as those who are experiencing homelessness.

Pre-school Education: Protective Clothing

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of making the wearing of face coverings at nurseries compulsory.

Jo Churchill: Public Health England advises that for health and safety reasons, face coverings should not be used for children under three. In addition, misuse may inadvertently increase the risk of transmission and there may also be negative effects on communication and thus children’s development.Children under the age of 11 are not required to wear a face covering. This is a practical recognition of the fact that it is difficult to get children of primary school age to wear a face covering properly for a prolonged period.

Dental Services

Dr Luke Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to support the NHS to tackle  any backlog of dental treatment in (a) Leicestershire and (b) the UK.

Jo Churchill: NHS England and NHS Improvement have set out guidance that dentists should focus on care that is urgent, care to vulnerable groups and then overdue routine appointments.NHS England and NHS Improvement have commissioned additional clinical sessions across the Midlands region, Leicestershire and Rutland. It will enable participating National HS dental practices to deliver more face-to-face care providing up to two sessions, of three and half hours, at the weekends from January to March this year.

Social Services: Protective Clothing

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the extent to which the order limits set on the personal protective equipment (PPE) portal are able to fulfil the needs of social care providers for PPE.

Jo Churchill: As part of our national effort to ensure critical personal protective equipment (PPE) is delivered to the frontline, we created a PPE portal in collaboration with Ebay, Clipper and Royal Mail through which primary and social care providers could access emergency PPE.Eligible primary and social care providers can order PPE through the portal to meet the increased need that has arisen as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dental Services: Standards

Anne Marie Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will review the targets to be imposed on dental practices as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.

Jo Churchill: The Department currently has no plans to review the units of dental activity targets for the final quarter of the 2020/21 financial year, as set by NHS England and NHS Improvement.NHS England and NHS Improvement have set a 45% dental activity target for the final financial quarter of the 2020/21 financial year. This target is based upon clinical advice and modelling from the office of the Chief Dental Officer and has taken into consideration robust adherence to infection prevention and control guidance and social distancing requirements. This target also takes into consideration the levels of dental activity that have been achieved to date.National Health Service commissioners have the discretion to make exceptions, for instance in cases where a dental practice has been impacted by staff being required to self-isolate or the reinstatement of shielding during the national lockdown.

Hearing Impairment: Coronavirus

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many clear face masks have been sent to NHS and social care workers in each NHS region since the start of the covid-19 outbreak.

Jo Churchill: Last year, the Department procured 250,000 transparent facemasks, which are currently being piloted within the health and social care systems. Initial distributions commenced mid-August with equal allocations across the health and social care sectors, as well as allocations to the devolved administrations and the National Supply Disruption Response.The Department and NHS England and NHS Improvement will continue to work closely with suppliers on future orders based on demand.

Fibromyalgia

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of medicinal cannabis as a treatment option for fibromyalgia.

Jo Churchill: The Department has made no such assessment. Clinical guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommend that cannabis-based products for medicinal use are not offered to manage chronic pain in adults and that cannabidiol (CBD) only be offered as part of a clinical trial. NICE recognises the lack of evidence to support the use of these medicines and recommends that further research is carried out on the clinical and cost effectiveness of CBD as an add-on treatment for adults with fibromyalgia.

Cancer: Screening

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate he has made of the number of people waiting for cancer screening tests following delays as a result of the covid-19 lockdown.

Jo Churchill: We have interpreted the hon. Member’s question to refer to people awaiting tests after an initial screen, as opposed to the number of people waiting for screening invitations. This data is unavailable.Although some appointments for cancer screening have been rescheduled during the COVID-19 pandemic to protect vulnerable patients, NHS England and NHS Improvement have taken a robust approach to ensuring that people at highest risk are seen as a matter of priority. Week by week, we have seen the number of people in these screening pathways reducing. At the same time, there is a continued focus on sending out invites for routine screening that were previously delayed.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Sarah Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking during the second wave of covid-19 to protect people who were in the shielding category during the first wave.

Jo Churchill: In recent months the Government has reintroduced shielding advice for clinically extremely vulnerable people in tier 4 areas or during periods of national lockdown. The updated guidance and letters signpost people to mental health support and the Government has provided additional funding to local authorities to support clinically extremely vulnerable people during these periods of enhanced restrictions. NHS Volunteer Responders also remain on hand to support people, including clinically vulnerable people with serious mental illness.

Coronavirus

Mr Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to validate models of covid-19 impact on the NHS against observed data; and if he will make a statement.

Jo Churchill: The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) provides scientific advice to support the Government response to COVID-19. In fulfilling this role SAGE considers a wide range of infectious disease modelling.Part of this advice includes consensus medium-term projections of hospitalisations and deaths produced by the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling (SPI-M). These represent a scenario in which the trajectory of the epidemic continues to follow current trends. They do not account for the impact of future policy or behaviour changes, nor seasonal effects that may affect transmission.The charts included in the medium-term projections explainer show the consensus medium-term projections SPI-M’s operational sub-group have produced for daily hospital admissions and deaths in England. These projections are plotted on a log scale to better display the large range of values. As these charts show, actual data from October consistently fitted the projections made earlier in the month. These charts are published on GOV.UK.SPI-M does not estimate or project the number of cases. Models are continually validated against outturn data.

Dietetics

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 9 December 2020 to Question 95733 on Dietetics, which recognised nutrition experts and expert bodies his Department has consulted to inform (a) the obesity strategy and (b) wider nutrition policy.

Jo Churchill: Our policies on obesity and nutrition are informed by the latest research and emerging evidence, including from debates in Parliament and various reports from key stakeholders. For example, Public Health England’s 2015 review ‘Sugar reduction: the evidence for action’ identified areas for action to reduce sugar intakes, a number of which have been taken forward by Government. Further research and evidence are referenced in the obesity strategy, three chapters of the childhood obesity plan, public consultations and supporting documents.

Protective Clothing

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the answer of 18 November 2020 to question 95111 on Protective Clothing, if he will publish the number of items of (a) surgical masks, (b) FFP3 masks, (c) gowns, (d) gloves and (e) eye protection that are currently stockpiled; and what estimate he has made of how long those stockpiles of personal protective equipment will last.

Jo Churchill: Departmental statisticians are reviewing and validating the data on our personal protective stockpile (PPE) stockpile, with the intention of publishing this information as official statistics in the near future.Since February 2020 we have ordered almost 32 billion items of PPE, the majority of which has already been delivered or is on its way and by December we had built a four-month stockpile of all COVID-19 critical PPE. We are confident we have secured enough PPE for the ongoing challenges of COVID-19 and that we have the processes and logistics in place to distribute PPE to where it is needed.

Podiatry

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what policy proposals his Department has to help decrease the numbers of people (a) developing foot ulceration and (b) undergoing foot and lower limb amputations; and what plans his Department has for increasing funding for community foot protection services to help support such policy proposals; and if he will make a statement.

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase funding for community foot protection services as part of the preventative agenda for foot and lower limb care to help avoid acute issues occurring for patients; and if he will make a statement.

Jo Churchill: To help decrease the numbers of people developing foot ulceration and undergoing foot and lower limb amputation, NHS England and NHS Improvement support the Vascular Society’s ‘Peripheral Arterial Disease Quality Improvement Framework’, launched in April 2019, and currently being implemented at a number of early adopter sites. This programme aims to achieve revascularisation in 60% of patients with chronic limb threatening ischaemia (CLTI) within five days of non-elective admission to vascular provider units in England.Studies have shown a correlation between timely revascularisation as part of a vascular limb salvage service and a reduction in major amputation rates. The programme is being actively supported by the Vascular Society and the National Vascular Registry through to 2024 and NHS England and NHS Improvement are currently examining the feasibility of an incentive scheme to support implementation.The implementation case estimates that investment in such initiatives would achieve improvements in foot and lower limb care and the NWCSP is currently recruiting three initial implementation sites to test the assumptions of the economic case before making any decisions regarding future funding arrangements.

Coronavirus: Protective Clothing

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made a recent assessment of the adequacy of the Infection Prevention and Control guidance on the occasions when an FFP3 mask should be used by workers in the NHS; and whether that matter has been considered since the identification of the covid-19 variant designated VOC-202012/01.

Jo Churchill: The infection prevention and control guidance (IPC) covers all patient facing roles. Its implementation should be underpinned by risk assessments that take into consideration the patient, environment, procedure and task being undertaken by any member of health care staff. This will include personal protective equipment (PPE) and the use of FFP3 respirators and eye/face protection, with the risk assessments and use of the PPE determined at an organisational level. Updated IPC guidance was published on 21 January and is available on GOV.UK.A peer review has been undertaken by an expert group of clinicians to assess the new variant strains. The evidence review has not identified a change in the mode of transmission between the variants and previous circulating strains of COVID-19, and therefore there are no changes to the recommendations set out in the IPC guidance at this stage.

Contraceptives

Sir Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the report entitled, Women's Lives, Women's Rights: Strengthening Access to Contraception Beyond the Covid-19 Pandemic, published by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Sexual and Reproductive Health on 10 September 2020, what steps his Department is taking to preserve the institutional expertise and leadership on women's contraceptive care within Public Health England during its reorganisation.

Jo Churchill: Preventing ill-health and reducing health inequalities remains one of the top priorities. Alongside work to establish the National Institute for Health Protection, we will continue to focus on health improvement and preventing ill-health with support from expertise within Public Health England (PHE). We are not anticipating that there will be any changes to PHE’s current functions and responsibilities before spring 2021. There is much to do between now and then but work is ongoing and the intricacies of the system are still in development.

General Practitioners: Registration

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people in England are not registered with a GP; and whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of a publicity campaign to raise awareness of the need to be registered with a GP to receive a covid-19 vaccination.

Jo Churchill: No estimate has been made of the number of people in England not registered with a GP surgery.The General Practice COVID-19 vaccination programme 2020/21 Enhanced Service Specification, the agreement under which general practices will deliver COVID-19 vaccinations under, enables practices working within their Primary Care Network groupings from shared vaccination sites to vaccinate unregistered patients. Individuals who are not registered with a general practitioner (GP) will therefore be able to access the vaccine.

Tobacco: Sales

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reasons Public Health England has not acted on reports of sales of cigarettes containing menthol.

Jo Churchill: The investigation into the selling of cigarette products that have a characterising menthol flavour is currently going through the process in accordance with the European Union (EU) Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/779. The Government committed to comply with the EU’s Tobacco Products Directive until the United Kingdom and the EU’s transition period ended. Public Health England (PHE) has been preparing to begin testing products of interest now the transition period is complete. In the meantime, PHE has communicated with manufacturers to alert them of its concerns that certain tobacco products that may have a characterising menthol flavour are still being sold.

Dental Services

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS orthodontic procedures have been carried out in in (a) primary and (b) secondary care in each region in each of the last five years.

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients have been on waiting lists for NHS orthodontic procedures in each region in each of the last five years.

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect of covid-19 on the delivery of NHS orthodontic services.

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the covid-19 outbreak on patient waiting lists for NHS orthodontic services in (a) 2021, (b) 2022 and (c) beyond.

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans NHS England and orthodontists are trialing to restore the delivery of orthodontic services during the covid-19 outbreak.

Jo Churchill: Data on the units of orthodontic activity from 2015-16 to 2019-20 by National Health Service commissioning region is available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-dental-statistics/2019-20-annual-reportData for orthodontic waiting lists is unavailable.NHS England and NHS Improvement continue to discuss the various approaches to management and restoration of orthodontic services with the profession.

Coronavirus: Protective Clothing

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the British Medical Association’s recent letter to his Department on the availability of personal protective equipment (PPE) designed to meet the differing needs of individual healthcare workers; and what steps he is taking to ensure that all workers who require PPE have equipment that fits them properly.

Jo Churchill: We are firmly committed to ensuring that the personal protective equipment (PPE) provided to our healthcare workers is of the required quality, size, and that it fits. We actively identify user needs and take appropriate action to incorporate user feedback in PPE provision, including on gender and cultural specificity.Our buying teams are aware of the different categories to buy against and source as many different sizes of gowns, facemasks, and other items of critical PPE, as possible. We are improving the availability and quality of fit testing of PPE.

Health Services

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to (a) support local health services and (b) ensure that GP appointments are available and accessible for non-covid patients.

Jo Churchill: The Government is committed to supporting National Health Service capacity to protect it during surges in COVID-19 cases alongside the increased pressures on the system during winter. We have committed an additional £1 billion to address backlogs and tackle long waiting lists. This is separate from the £3 billion previously announced which has enabled the NHS to have ongoing access to independent sector capacity. As of 18 January, the NHS Nightingale Hospital Exeter is providing inpatient services to COVID-19 patients and the NHS Nightingale Hospital North West and the NHS Nightingale Hospital London are providing ‘step-down’ care to non-COVID-19 patients. Other Nightingale sites at Harrogate and Bristol are supporting NHS elective and diagnostic services but are not providing inpatient services.General practice services remain accessible to non-COVID-19 patients. General practice is open and the NHS continues to urge the public to come forward with any health concerns they have. NHS England and NHS Improvement have issued guidance on the importance of continuing to offer face to face appointments, utilising remote triage and making use of online and telephone consultations where appropriate – whilst considering the needs of those unable to access or engage with digital services. On 7 January 2021 NHS England and NHS Improvement set out further details on the actions to release capacity in general practice as well as priorities for the next quarter. This includes maintaining routine appointments and supporting the clinically extremely vulnerable and those with ‘long’ COVID-19. In November 2020, the Government has committed an additional £150 million to support general practice through a General Practice Covid Capacity Expansion Fund, in addition to the previously announced COVID-19 support fund.

Coronavirus: Protective Clothing

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what processes his Department has put in place to ensure that all workers in the NHS who require personal protective equipment (PPE) have PPE that fits them properly; and what assessment he has made of the adequacy of availability of PPE that meets the differing needs of the NHS workforce.

Jo Churchill: We actively identify user needs and take appropriate action to incorporate user feedback in personal protective equipment (PPE) provision. Feedback has largely focused on the fit of face masks where an appropriate fit is critical for effective protection.Alongside building and managing the resilient supply of high quality FFP3 masks, the Government is improving the availability and quality of fit testing in trusts to ensure appropriate PPE is available to individual National Health Service staff.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Mr Marcus Fysh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to publish salient trial data for covid-19 vaccine candidates and any risk-based or other analyses of them that might be used toward any marketing authorisation, with sufficient time for review prior to any authorisation being given for a candidate’s marketing in the UK.

Jo Churchill: Data or clinical study reports from clinical trials of new medicines are not published before authorisation or prior to trial completion due to commercial confidentiality and concern that publication may influence or bias the on-going trial. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) performs a thorough and robust assessment of clinical trial data together with non-clinical data and manufacturing and control data submitted as part of a Marketing Authorisation Application.

General Practitioners: Registration

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of people not registered with a GP; and what assessment he has made of the potential effect of that figure on the roll-out of covid-19 vaccinations.

Jo Churchill: No estimate has been made of the (a) number and (b) proportion of the English population not registered with a GP surgery. The data NHS Digital holds on GP practice registrations is aggregate counts at practice level, meaning that individual patients are not identified, and therefore numbers not currently registered cannot be ascertained. The number of patients registered at a GP practice in England as of January 2021 was 60,606,345 (see https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/patients-registered-at-a-gp-practice/january-2021).In planning for the roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccination programme, NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSE/I) have sought to ensure that vaccinations are accessible to those who are not registered with a GP.NHSE/I commissioned the general practice COVID-19 vaccination service in line with agreed national terms and conditions, as an enhanced service (ES). The ES enables practices, coming together as Primary Care Network (PCN) groupings, to vaccinate unregistered patients provided they are eligible for a vaccination. Individuals who are not registered with a GP Practice will therefore be able to access the vaccine in line with the priority groups outlined by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisations (JCVI).

General Practitioners: Registration

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to encourage people to register with a GP.

Jo Churchill: NHS England and NHS Improvement encourage people to register with a general practitioner (GP) through a number of routes. Recent standard operating procedures for GP practices in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic reinforce both the importance of practices continuing to accept new patients, including those most vulnerable, and facilitating registration remotely. This is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/publication/managing-coronavirus-covid-19-in-general-practice-sop/Communications ensuring general practice remains seen by the general public as open for business is a key priority and is supported by a dedicated pack for commissioners and GP practices to provide clear public messaging, which is available at the following link:https://coronavirusresources.phe.gov.uk/nhs-resources-facilities/resources/nhs-primarycare-social/

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support is being offered to families where one member of the household is shielding and another is an NHS staff member working with covid-19 patients, and where self-isolation isn’t possible within the household.

Jo Churchill: People who live in a household with someone that is considered clinically extremely vulnerable do not have to shield themselves. Shielding advice is only for the individual considered clinically extremely vulnerable.Current Government advice is that everyone should work from home where possible. Where this is not possible, those not considered clinically extremely vulnerable can continue to attend the workplace. All employers, including the National Health Service, are required to take steps to reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19 in the workplace and employers should be able to explain to employees the measures they have put in place to keep them safe at work.

Food: Production

Patrick Grady: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect on food business operators of the Food Standards Agency guidance on the co-location of food and pet food production, published on 21 December 2020; and if he will make a statement.

Jo Churchill: The Food Standards Agency has produced the guidance for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, to help Food Business Operators (FBOs) and enforcement agencies to better understand the controls and systems that must be put in place to manage the risks from the production of pet food in establishments that also produce food for human consumption. It was developed and published following a lengthy public consultation exercise and a high-level internal clearance process.Food Standards Scotland has not been approached by FBOs in Scotland to approve co-located establishments and would consider any applications on a case-by-case basis.This approach is only applicable to the manufacturing of pet food in approved/registered food establishments to the same high standards as for food for human consumption. This co-location of production is permitted in legislation and the guidance has been developed and published to assist food businesses and their enforcement agencies in improving their understanding of the controls and systems that must be in place.

Nutrition

Anne Marie Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what evidence informs the criteria for the proportion of meat recommended in the NHS Eatwell Guide and Guideline Daily Allowances.

Jo Churchill: Whilst there are no official recommendations on the consumption of white meat, the Government recommends that people who currently eat more than 90 grams (cooked weight) of red and processed meat a day, cut down to no more than an average of 70 grams a day. This is based on advice from the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN).The SACN reviewed the evidence on red and processed meat intake as part of their report ‘Iron and Health’ in 2010. The report concluded that red and processed meat is probably associated with increased bowel cancer risk. The SACN recommended that people with relatively high intakes of red and processed meat should consider reducing their intakes. ‘Iron and Health’ is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sacn-iron-and-health-report

Borderline Substances Advisory Committee

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances publishes (a) an annual report, (b) minutes of meetings, (c) conflict of interest declarations and (d) a performance review; and if he will make a statement.

Jo Churchill: The Department is responsible for the Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances (ACBS).The Department publishes the minutes of the ACBS meetings at the following link:https://app.box.com/s/k8a2gxf6b8emexz6neekq134yx9vi35yThe minutes include a record of the interests declared by members of the ACBS and any conflicts.The Department has not published an annual report or performance review of work relating to the ACBS.

Asthma: Medical Equipment

Zarah Sultana: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of reducing the cost of inhalers to alleviate the financial burden on long term sufferers of asthma.

Jo Churchill: Where a patient obtains their inhaler via a National Health Service prescription, they may have to pay a prescription charge. The use of prescription charges protects patients from changes in the underlying cost of individual medicines. Around 89% of prescriptions are dispensed free of charge and extensive arrangements are already in place to help people access NHS prescriptions, including a broad range of NHS prescription charge exemptions. To support those with the greatest need who do not qualify for an exemption, they can spread the cost of their prescriptions by purchasing prescription pre-payment certificates. A holder of a 12-month certificate can get all the prescriptions they need for just over £2 per week.

HIV Infection and Sexually Transmitted Infections: Health Services

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to implement a sexual and reproductive health strategy and HIV action plan.

Jo Churchill: Development of the sexual and reproductive health strategy and HIV action plan was paused at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, work on the strategy is now getting underway and we plan to publish this in 2021.

Borderline Substances Advisory Committee

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances takes to work with stakeholders; and whether the Committee's work is publicly accessible.

Jo Churchill: The Department is responsible for the Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances (ACBS). The Committee and its secretariat work closely with stakeholders including arranging regular meetings with industry representatives at the British Specialist Nutrition Association. Much of the Committee’s work covers commercially sensitive information. However, the minutes of ACBS meetings are published at the following link:https://app.box.com/s/k8a2gxf6b8emexz6neekq134yx9vi35y

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the level of patient involvement in the NICE process for evaluating and approving new medicines and treatment; and whether there are plans under the ongoing Methods Review to adjust that level of involvement.

Jo Churchill: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is an independent body and is therefore responsible for its own methods and processes for evaluations and approving new medicines and treatments. Consultee organisations for NICE’s technology appraisals include national groups representing patients and carers.NICE has had patient involvement throughout its methods and process review, including a specific workstream led by patient representatives and senior NICE staff. Patient groups are also represented on its Methods Review Working Group.

Heart Diseases: Diagnosis

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will put in place steps to ensure that everyone (a) with suspected heart failure has access to a BNP or NT-proBNP test within the NHS to support accurate diagnosis and (b) with a confirmed diagnosis of heart failure has access to specialist NHS care, as set out in NICE guidelines NG106.

Jo Churchill: NHS England and NHS Improvement are committed to working with regions and networks to increase access to the B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) blood test and echocardiography, to improve the early detection and optimum management of heart failure.Heart failure is a key priority in the NHS Long Term Plan which aims to raise awareness of the symptoms of heart failure and to ensure early and rapid access to diagnostic tests and treatment. This remains a priority during the COVID-19 pandemic and NHS England and NHS Improvement have a programme of work to support this.

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence: Public Consultation

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has held with NICE on its plans for further engagement with stakeholders after the NICE Methods Review consultation closes on 18 December 2020.

Jo Churchill: Departmental Ministers and officials regularly discuss a range of matters with colleagues in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).NICE’s first public consultation on the case for change to its methods ran from 6 November to 18 December 2020. There will be a second public consultation in spring 2021 on the case for change to its processes and a final public consultation on the draft programme manual in summer 2021.

Coronavirus: Dietary Supplements

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent advice he has received on the potential merits of using (a) Vitamin D, (b) Vitamin C and (c) Zinc to help deter or tackle covid-19 infection.

Jo Churchill: Throughout 2020 the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) have considered emerging evidence on vitamin D and COVID-19, and acute respiratory tract infections, respectively. In December 2020, NICE, Public Health England (PHE) and the SACN published a rapid guideline on vitamin D for COVID-19. This concluded that there is currently not enough evidence to support taking vitamin D solely to prevent or treat COVID-19. The guideline is available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng187In 2020, the SACN conducted a rapid scoping exercise on nutrition and immune function in relation to COVID-19, which included consideration of vitamin C and zinc, and found a lack of robust evidence at this current time to suggest that specific nutrients or supplements can prevent individuals from catching COVID-19 or mitigate its effects.NICE, PHE and the SACN are continuing to monitor evidence as it is published and will review and update guidance if necessary.

Borderline Substances Advisory Committee

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances, what assessment he has made of (a) the effectiveness of the Committee's performance and (b) its timeliness in responding to applications in 2019-20; and how many (i) products the Committee approved and (ii) new products were submitted to it for approval in that 12 month period.

Jo Churchill: The Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances (ACBS) Secretariat, ACBS members and industry representatives of the British Specialist Nutrition Association have concluded that the current application form and guidance are leading to inconsistent quality in submissions from manufacturers and a new application form and guidance is required As a result, a joint project with industry to improve ACBS processes began in 2019. This was paused due to COVID-19 and will resume as soon as the ACBS and its stakeholders are able to do so.As part of the project, a bespoke report was produced and shared with the British Specialist Nutrition Association on 18 February 2020 showing that the average time for the ACBS to respond to all types of applications was 28 working days.From 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020 the Committee approved 103 products and 35 new products were submitted to it for approval.

Coronavirus: Hydroxychloroquine

Kate Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of taking hydroxychloroquine to treat covid-19.

Jo Churchill: The Therapeutics Taskforce is continuing to monitor any new, high quality evidence on COVID-19 therapeutics and has been following recent findings on hydroxychloroquine.In June 2020, the Government-funded RECOVERY trial concluded that there is no beneficial effect of hydroxychloroquine in patients hospitalised with COVID-19. For other patient cohorts, there is limited evidence at this stage to suggest hydroxychloroquine is effective in treating COVID-19 infection. The Therapeutics Taskforce is closely monitoring the large number of active trials that are yet to produce results and will assess any new evidence once this is available. The Department and its arm’s length bodies are prepared to act rapidly should any trial readouts prove positive at sufficient scale and significance.

Coronavirus

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will provide evidence that covid-19 can be spread by asymptomatic people.

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the most common pathways of covid-19 transmission are.

Jo Churchill: Evidence that COVID-19 can be spread by asymptomatic people is available at the following link:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7508369/Current evidence shows that the COVID-19 virus is primarily transmitted between people through respiratory droplets and contact routes. Public Health England has published further information about COVID-19 transmission which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/phe-factors-contributing-to-risk-of-sars-cov2-transmission-in-various-settings-26-november-2020

Kidneys: Transplant Surgery

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what contingency plans his Department has put in place to ensure the uninterrupted supply from the EU of (a) fluids for peritoneal dialysis and (b) other critical specialist medications needed to maintain life and wellbeing for kidney transplant patients after 1 January 2021.

Jo Churchill: The Government’s priority is to ensure that patients continue to have access to the medicines they need, including fluids for peritoneal dialysis and other medicines critical to kidney transplant patients. The Department continues to work closely with the pharmaceutical industry, the devolved administrations, the National Health Service and others in the supply chain to deliver the shared goal of continuity of safe patient care by mitigating any potential disruption to the supply of medicines into the United Kingdom at the end of the transition period.As set out in a letter the Department sent to the pharmaceutical industry on 17 November 2020, the Department is implementing a multi-layered approach, that involves asking suppliers of medicines and medical products to the UK from or via the European Union to get themselves ‘trader ready’, reroute their supply chains away from any potential disruption and stockpile to a target level of six weeks on UK soil where this is possible. The letter is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/letter-to-medicines-and-medical-products-suppliers-17-november-2020

Prescription Drugs

Sir George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 17 November 2020 to Question 116400, if he has made an assessment of the reasons for the increase in over-the-counter prescribing in each month from July 2019 to March 2020.

Jo Churchill: The attached table shows the number of over the counter items prescribed and all items prescribed, by month, from July 2019 to March 2020. As shown the number of items prescribed during this period fluctuates on a month by month basis. However, when compared to the same month in the previous year, fewer over the counter items were prescribed in eight of the nine months. In comparison, all items prescribing was greater in eight of the nine months shown with the biggest increase also observed in March 2020.The reasons why there has been an increase in over the counter prescribing items in March 2020 compared to the same month last year are not known. This could be an anomaly or it may be linked to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Net ingredient cost of over the counter items is dependent not only on the volume of items prescribed but also price changes of individual products. Items Prescribed (docx, 20.6KB)

Coronavirus: Screening

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the operational false positive rate for population mass screening was for the last four formal internal quality assurance runs, with the supporting report.

Jo Churchill: In the United Kingdom population screening is offered across 11 screening programmes which cover over 30 conditions, as recommended by the UK National Screening Committee. These screening programmes do not report on the false positive rates but do include information where further testing is required.

Medical Equipment

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish a list of the medical products designated for stockpiling under the (a) essential medicines buffer stock and (b) covid-19 supportive medicines stockpile for which the UK is assessed to be (i) wholly reliant and (ii) more than 50 per cent reliant on products or materials imported from overseas; and which stockpiles of products fall into those two categories.

Jo Churchill: It is not possible to accurately assess the extent to which the medicines designated for stockpiling under the essential medicines buffer stock and COVID-19 supportive medicines stockpile are wholly reliant or more than 50% reliant on importation of products or materials. Suppliers frequently have a number of different sources and manufacturing sites. Any information provided by suppliers is commercially sensitive.

Blood Cancer: Medical Treatments

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of treatment provisions for people diagnosed with advanced-stage of (a) mycosis fungoides and (b) Sézary syndrome, two subtypes of Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma.

Jo Churchill: No recent assessment has been made.Cancer Alliances have pathways in place to support diagnosis as part of their skin cancer pathways. NHS England and NHS Improvement have contributed to the development of the United Kingdom Rare Disease Framework, which was published on 9 January and will work with other stakeholders in England to develop an action plan to implement the Framework.

Gender Recognition: Children

Jackie Doyle-Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department plans to prevent the unlawful prescription of puberty suppressants from GPs based overseas.

Jo Churchill: The United Kingdom currently recognises prescriptions from countries on an approved list. A prescription from a country not on the list would not be recognised. We will only recognise prescriptions issued by prescribers of equivalent professional status to those eligible to prescribe in the UK.We would expect all registered pharmacies and pharmacists to meet the regulatory standards set by the General Pharmaceutical Council or the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland when considering dispensing any lawfully valid prescription.

Cancer: Staff

Abena Oppong-Asare: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to increase (a) staff capacity in and (b) recruitment to oncology departments.

Jo Churchill: ‘We are the NHS: People Plan for 2020/2021 – action for us all’ sets out actions to support transformation across the whole NHS, including the following commitment on the cancer workforce:In 2021, Health Education England is prioritising the training of 400 clinical endoscopists and 450 reporting radiographers. Training grants are being offered for 350 nurses to become cancer nurse specialists and chemotherapy nurses, training 58 biomedical scientists, developing an advanced clinical practice qualification in oncology and extending cancer support-worker training.

Dental Services

Mick Whitley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the proportion of NHS dental clinics that will not be able to meet the 45 per cent of their pre-pandemic units of dental activity target during the January 2021 lockdown in (a) England and (b) the North West.

Jo Churchill: No such assessment has been made.NHS England and NHS Improvement recognise that there may be exceptional circumstances when the 45% activity target may not be deliverable and so National Health Service commissioners will use discretion to make exceptions in these cases. In addition, where a practice under-delivers by up to 4%, they can carry this forward into the next financial year.

Physiotherapy: Young People

Stuart Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support is in place for young people who require physiotherapy sessions additional to those commissioned by Clinical Commissioning Groups.

Jo Churchill: Physiotherapy services are primarily commissioned by clinical commissioning groups (CCGs). Physiotherapy services are commissioned across primary, secondary and tertiary care, taking place in the community, general practitioner practices, patients’ homes, acute hospitals, schools, nurseries in addition to other high street settings.Outside of the CCG arrangements, NHS England is responsible for specialised commissioning – which can include specialist rehabilitation for young people with complex rehabilitation needs. Local authorities can fund physiotherapy services, both in education and also via personal care budgets. Schools can directly employ physiotherapy services, and this is indeed the case in some Special Educational Needs schools. Physiotherapists could be employed directly out of personal healthcare budgets. Local authorities can also offer physiotherapy as part of wider health and wellbeing schemes, targeted at both their young and adult populations.Physiotherapy provision can also be accessed via private practitioners, or via the third sector, including charity and voluntary organisations.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether Health and Care professions that can currently administer medicines, through Patient Group Directions and Independent Prescribing Rights, will be granted rights to assist with the rollout of the covid-19 vaccination programme.

Jo Churchill: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 14 December 2020 to Question 124788.

Cancer: Health Services

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to ensure that NHS cancer (a) appointments and (b) operations continue during the covid-19 outbreak.

Jo Churchill: Cancer services remain an absolute priority for the NHS. To maintain access to essential and urgent cancer services during the pandemic, COVID-19 protected surgical hubs are being established in each region and the use of additional independent sector capacity is maximised.

Dental Services: Mothers

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of extending the entitlements granted under the Maternity Exemption Certificate by six months to enable new mothers to access NHS dental treatment missed during the covid-19 outbreak.

Jo Churchill: There are no plans to extend the period of qualification for exemption from dental patient charges on the basis of maternity. NHS England and NHS Improvement have issued guidance setting out the priority order in which patients should be seen – focusing on urgent treatment, particularly for vulnerable groups, followed by routine care which is overdue. New mothers should therefore contact their dental practice where needed to access treatment.

Cancer: Life Expectancy

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what effect covid-19 lockdowns have had on the life expectancy of people diagnosed with cancer.

Jo Churchill: The full impact of the pandemic on NHS services will not be known for some time. Cancer services remain an absolute priority for the National Health Service, and cancer services have been maintained throughout the pandemic.

Genetic Engineering

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps are being taken through the NICE health technology evaluation methods review to assess the effect of the (a) reference (b) non-reference discount rate on gene therapies.

Jo Churchill: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is an independent body and is therefore responsible for its own methods and processes. The discount rates applied by NICE in its health technology assessments are specified in its methods guides. NICE will carry out three public consultations as part of its methods review. The most recent consultation being 6 November to 18 December on the case for change to its methods.

Vitamin B12

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits for those with B12 deficiency of removing the classification of Prescription Only Medicine from injectable vitamin B12 and making B12 injectables available over the counter at pharmacies.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with (a) the Welsh Government, (b) NHS England and (c) people with B12 deficiency on removing the classification of Prescription Only Medicine from injectable vitamin B12 and making B12 injectables available over the counter at pharmacies.

Jo Churchill: Vitamin B12 is only available as an injection and therefore must be classified as prescription only under the regulations as suitable training needs to be given for its administration. The condition for which it is prescribed also means the product must be classified as a prescription only medicine and therefore no further assessment has been made of the potential merits of making these products available over the counter. Patients are prescribed vitamin B12 for pernicious anaemia and need medical input to diagnose, monitor their condition and treat it appropriately.Formal discussions have therefore not been held with the Welsh Government or NHS England on the reclassification of vitamin B12. Officials have responded to patient enquiries to explain the rationale for the classification of this medicine as they have arisen.

Influenza

Sir David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many confirmed hospital admissions for influenza there have been in each month since January 2019.

Jo Churchill: Data on confirmed hospital admissions for influenza is not collected on a monthly basis.

Health Education: Protective Clothing

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will launch a public health campaign that promotes the correct wearing of face coverings.

Jo Churchill: The Government continues to run a public health campaign across different media on responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. This campaign includes alerting the public to where face coverings are required and how to wear one correctly. As the pandemic changes, we continue to develop our public health communications campaigns in order to ensure that the public is aware of the need to wear face coverings, and how to use them correctly and safely.

Cancer: Health Services

Claudia Webbe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the number of cancer patients who have had their cancer (a) diagnosis and (b) treatment delayed since the start of the covid-19 outbreak in Leicester East constituency.

Claudia Webbe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an estimate of the number of cancer patients who are likely to have their cancer (a) diagnosis and (b) treatment delayed as a result of the latest wave of covid-19 and the January 2021 lockdown restrictions in Leicester East constituency.

Jo Churchill: Information is not available in the format requested for the Leicester East constituency. Monthly data on cancer activity and waiting times is collected at provider and regional level.

Coronavirus: Ivermectin

Sir Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the efficacy of ivermectin as a (a) prophylactic and (b) treatment for covid-19.

Jo Churchill: The Therapeutics Taskforce is continuing to monitor any new, high quality evidence on COVID-19 therapeutics and has been following recent findings on ivermectin.The Department has monitored a collection of small studies which have now completed and provided some positive signals on the use of ivermectin as a treatment for COVID-19. However, larger scale studies are still needed to confirm the effectiveness and safety of this treatment. The Therapeutics Taskforce is aware that several more studies into ivermectin are set to conclude in the next few months and will continue to monitor these ongoing trials to assess the evidence available on whether ivermectin can prevent and/or reduce the severity of COVID-19.

Coronavirus: Protective Clothing

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 10 December 2020 to Question 125991 on Hearing Impairment: Protective Clothing, whether his Department plans to extend the pilot of clear face coverings to educational settings.

Jo Churchill: The ClearMask pilot is now complete. Based on the feedback provided, we will be running an assessment of a broader array of products from a range of manufacturers. This assessment will test different types of transparent masks currently at prototype stage against a new technical specification being developed by the regulatory bodies. We are engaging users, so they may assess the appropriateness of different masks for each end-user setting, including those in education.

NHS: Protective Clothing

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the average cost per thousand of individual face coverings purchased for NHS staff in (a) September (b) October 2020 and (c) November 2020 from suppliers (i) inside the UK and (ii) outside the UK where the orders were for in excess of 100,000 face coverings.

Jo Churchill: No contracts were awarded to suppliers by the Department for face coverings or face masks in the months of September, October and November 2020.

Coronavirus: Protective Clothing

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the British Medical Association’s request for wider use of respiratory protective equipment, in high risk settings outside of those procedures designated as aerosol generating, to reduce the risk of infection among healthcare staff.

Jo Churchill: The safety of National Health Service and social care staff has always been our top priority and we continue to work round the clock to deliver personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect those on the frontline.The PPE recommendations in the infection prevention and control (IPC) guidance are agreed by an expert group of clinicians and scientists from across all four nations of the United Kingdom, based on the latest clinical evidence and are kept under constant review. The latest edition was published on 21 January 2021.The IPC guidance covers all patient facing roles. Its implementation should be underpinned by risk assessments that take into consideration the patient, environment, procedure and task being undertaken by any member of health care staff. This will include PPE and the use of FFP3 respirators, as well as eye and face protection, with the risk assessments and use of the PPE determined at an organisational level. Emerging evidence and data on variant strains will be continually monitored and reviewed, and the guidance amended accordingly if needed.

Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies: Coronavirus

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on what date SAGE first discussed covid variant B117; and what the outcome was of those discussions.

Jo Churchill: COVID-19 variant B117 was first mentioned at SAGE 74 on 22 December 2020. Public Health England was asked to share the information on the new variant B117 and South Africa variant with Ministers.

Blood Cancer: Coronavirus

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 18 June 2020 to Question 40578, how many people who are on the shielding list and defined as clinically extremely vulnerable with blood cancer are aged (a) 80 and over (b) between 75 and 79 (c) between 70 and 74 (d) between 65 and 69, (e) between 60 and 64 and (f) 59 or younger.

Jo Churchill: The following table shows a count of patients that are classified as being on the Shielded Patient List (SPL) in England with a blood cancer disease group by age band, as at 3 December 2020.Age BandPatients on the SPL80 years old and over35,29875-79 years old25,77370-74 years old29,67665-69 years old22,68060-64 years old19,08459 years old or younger55,362

Dental Services

Mick Whitley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on the mental wellbeing of dental clinicians and support staff of increasing the target for units of dental activity to 45 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.

Jo Churchill: The safety and wellbeing of patients and staff remains at the forefront of attempts to increase dental activity. NHS England and NHS Improvement have determined that dental practices delivering 45% of contracted units of dental activity (UDA) from 1 January to 31 March 2021 will be deemed to have delivered the full contractual volume. There may be exceptional circumstances when the 45% activity target may not be deliverable and dental teams should be reassured that commissioners have discretion to make exceptions.Supporting the mental health of health workers is a priority for the Government, particularly during this unprecedented pandemic. Dental clinicians and their teams have access to a comprehensive package of health and wellbeing services designated to National Health Service staff.

Cancer: Health Services

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people have experienced disruption to their (a) diagnosis, (b) referral for treatment and (c) treatment of cancer in the last 12 months as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many cancer patients have had (a) a test, (b) a scan and (c) treatment delayed or rescheduled since the start of the covid-19 outbreak.

Jo Churchill: The Department does not collect the information requested.

Dental Services: Contracts

Matt Vickers: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has change the NHS target for dentistry contracts announced on 1 January 2021 during the 2021 England national covid-19 lockdown.

Jo Churchill: NHS England and NHS Improvement have set a 45% dental activity target. This target is based upon clinical advice and modelling from the office of the Chief Dental Officer and has taken into consideration robust adherence to infection prevention and control guidance and social distancing requirements. Furthermore, data on the percentages of activity dental practices have achieved to date supports the view that the target can be safely attainable.NHS commissioners have the discretion to make exceptions, for instance in cases where a dental practice has been impacted by staff being required to self-isolate and the reinstatement of shielding during the national lockdown. There are currently no plans to review or change the unit of dental activity targets for January to March 2021.

Vitamin D

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that clinically extremely vulnerable people have access to vitamin D supplements.

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the number of clinically extremely vulnerable individuals who have accessed the four-month free supply of vitamin D supplements.

Jo Churchill: From January 2021, the Government is providing a free four-month supply of daily vitamin D supplements to adults on the clinically extremely vulnerable list that have opted in to receive the supplements and residents in residential and nursing care homes in England. The registration period for this scheme has been extended to 21 February. For those who have opted into the scheme and are eligible, supplements will be sent directly to their homes. The Government has prioritised groups that were asked to stay indoors more than usual over the spring and summer due to national restrictions. Through this commitment, 2.7 million vulnerable people in England will be offered free vitamin D supplements for the winter by the Government. As of 1 January, 320,000 applications had been received and approved for free vitamin D supplements for individuals on the clinically extremely vulnerable list.

Health Services: Coronavirus

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve support and care for vulnerable patients with (a) respiratory disease, (b) cancer and (c) chronic diseases during the covid-19 outbreak.

Jo Churchill: In with line the wider National Health Service, the Cardiovascular Disease and Respiratory programme has focused its work in 2020/21 on the response to COVID-19 and has spent £5.5 million to support the response to the disease including work on ‘long-COVID’. This included bringing forward the implementation of Respiratory Clinical Networks by one year. The networks are vital in promoting an integrated approach to respiratory care during COVID-19 and are in parallel supporting delivery of the NHS Long Term Plan’s priorities.Cancer services have continued throughout the pandemic. The strategy for maintaining services through the second wave of COVID-19 is concentrating on maintaining or stepping up hubs for cancer surgery and maximising independent sector use, along with further rolling out of Rapid Diagnostic Centres. This work is being overseen by the Cancer Recovery Taskforce, who will publish a recovery plan shortly.Throughout the summer and autumn of 2020, the NHS has run an ongoing media campaign ‘Help us to help you’, encouraging patients to seek urgent medical help when they are unwell, including clear messaging for patients with heart attack symptoms to call 999.With a rise in COVID-19 activity, we’ve been clear that non-COVID-19 services will be maintained as far as possible. Essential care should only be postponed if a clinician and patient agree it is in the patient’s best interests. Doctors will always have the safety of patients at the centre of any decisions they make.

Care Homes: Vitamin D

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of care homes have been sent a four month supply of Vitamin D supplements for their residents by his Department.

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people in receipt of a clinically extremely vulnerable letter have (a) applied for and (b) received a four month supply of Vitamin D supplements from his Department.

Jo Churchill: From this month, the Government is providing a free four-month supply of daily vitamin D supplements to adults on the clinically extremely vulnerable list that have opted in to receive the supplements and residents in residential and nursing care homes in England. Through this commitment, 2.7 million vulnerable people in England will be offered free vitamin D supplements for the winter by the Government. All residential and nursing care homes will automatically receive vitamin D supplements from this month for their residents. 2,259,765 letters were sent to people on the clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV) list. Those who opt-in and are eligible will receive their supplements from this month. As of 1 January, 320,000 applications had been received and approved for free vitamin D supplements for individuals on the CEV list. Deliveries commenced from the week beginning 18 January.

Medical Treatments: Technology

Dr James Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of whether proposals regarding the preferred discount rates for costs and health effects used by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence should be included in the scope of his Department's consultations during its ongoing review into evaluation methods used to carry out technology appraisals.

Jo Churchill: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is an independent body and is therefore responsible for its own methods and processes. The discount rates applied by NICE in its health technology assessments are specified in its methods guides. NICE, not the Department, will carry out three public consultations as part of its methods review. The most recent consultation being 6 November to 18 December on the case for change to its methods.

Contraceptives

Sir Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of funding for training and professional development for members of the NHS workforce involved in delivering contraceptive care.

Jo Churchill: Health Education England funds training programmes for obstetrics and gynaecology, community sexual and reproductive health and general practice. However, the training curricula for these specialties are set by other organisations, including the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, their Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Health and the Royal College of General Practitioners. Curricula must meet the standards set by the General Medical Council and be formally approved by them.No specific assessment has been made around the adequacy of funding for training and professional development. Training and workforce issues for contraception care will be considered in the development of our new Sexual and Reproductive Health Strategy.

Vitamin D

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, who was responsible for the distribution of letters offering clinically extremely vulnerable people a four-month free supply of vitamin D supplements; and how many people received those letters.

Jo Churchill: On 27 November 2020 the Department of Health and Social Care and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government wrote to all 2.24 million people on the shielded patient list, providing information regarding the return to a tiered system of guidance for those considered clinically extremely vulnerable. In addition, this letter outlined the offer of a free four-month supply of vitamin D and contained information on how to register for this service.A subsequent letter was sent to all clinically extremely vulnerable individuals on 7 January 2021, advising that the registration period for the provision of free vitamin D had been extended. Those considered clinically extremely vulnerable now have until 21 February to register for the service.

Podiatry

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on patients who do not have a diabetes diagnosis of restricting access to multi-disciplinary foot services for people with a diagnosis of diabetes only; what plans his Department has to ensure that there is equity of care for patients with foot ulcers who do not have a diabetes diagnosis; and if he will make a statement.

Jo Churchill: £75 million of targeted funding is being made available to sustainability and transformation partnerships and integrated care systems to support delivery of the NHS Long Term Plan commitments relating to the treatment and care of people living with diabetes. Part of this funding will support new or expanded services as we work towards the Long Term Plan commitment of universal access to multidisciplinary footcare teams for those who need them.The National Wound Care Strategy Programme (NWCSP) recognises the current inequity of care for patients who do not have a diabetes diagnosis. Although there is less research evidence to inform the care for people with foot ulcers but no diabetes, the principles of caring for these ulcers is the same and the NWCSP acknowledges that inequity of care is unacceptable.The NWCSP, commissioned by NHS England and NHS Improvement, is currently recruiting three initial implementation sites to test the assumptions of the economic case outlined in their report which is available at the following link:https://www.ahsnnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/NWCSP-Implementing-the-Lower-Limb-Recommendations-15.12.20.pdf

Healthy Start Scheme

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether those with no recourse to public funds are eligible for Healthy Start Vouchers if they meet other required eligibility criteria.

Jo Churchill: Those with no recourse to public funds are not eligible for the scheme.

High Risk Aerosol Generating Procedures Independent Panel

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what process his Department used to appoint members of the Aerosol Generating Procedures Panel; and how he has ensured that panel had appropriate expertise from all areas of clinical care.

Jo Churchill: Appointments to the panel are made on merit and in accordance with the principles of the Code of Practice for Scientific Advisory Committees. The panel draws on the expertise of scientists and healthcare professionals, including clinicians, microbiologists, virologists, infection prevention and control, public health and engineering.

Nutrition: Obesity

Anne Marie Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of following the Eatwell Guide for people with a BMI of 30 and over; and if he will make a statement.

Jo Churchill: The Eatwell Guide applies to most people regardless of their weight, energy or calorie requirements. People with a Body Mass Index of 30 or above would be classified as living with obesity and should be supported to achieve a healthier weight through sustainable changes to their eating habits and physical activity levels. To achieve weight loss, the average person should reduce their daily calorie intake by 600 kilocalories. Whilst aiming to lose weight, the Eatwell Guide can help people choose a variety of different foods from each of the groups to help them get the wide range of nutrients they need to stay healthy.

Liver Diseases

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data his Department holds on the number of patients diagnosed with (a) liver disease, (b) alcohol-related liver disease and (c) non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in each local authority area in each of the last five years.

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what comparative assessment his Department has made of the number of deaths due to liver disease and other major diseases; and if he will make a statement.

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the number of people with undiagnosed liver disease.

Jo Churchill: Public Health England (PHE) does not hold data on liver disease in the format requested. PHE publishes data on the number of hospitals admissions and deaths from liver disease, alcohol-related liver disease and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, rather than diagnoses.In 2020, PHE published a comparison of liver disease to other causes of death, which is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/liver-disease-applying-all-our-health/liver-disease-applying-all-our-health PHE has not made an estimate of the number of people with undiagnosed liver disease.

Diets: Disinformation

Alex Davies-Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care,  what recent steps he has taken to tackle misinformation published about keto diets.

Jo Churchill: The ketogenic diet is a form of low carbohydrate diet. The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) is undertaking a risk assessment on lower carbohydrate diets compared to current Government advice for adults with type 2 diabetes. This report is due to be published later this year.The SACN published its report on Carbohydrates and Health in July 2015 and concluded that the United Kingdom recommendation for total carbohydrates should be maintained at approximately 50% of total dietary energy.

Liver Diseases

Sir David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help reduce the number of hospital admissions for alcohol-related liver disease.

Jo Churchill: As part of the NHS Long Term Plan, NHS England and NHS Improvement, with support from Public Health England (PHE), is helping acute hospitals with the highest rates of alcohol harm to establish or improve specialist alcohol care teams. PHE is supporting work to increase opportunities for the earlier detection of alcohol-related liver disease in people drinking at or above high-risk levels. This includes a new commissioning for quality and innovation (CQUIN) scheme to incentivise increased cirrhosis and fibrosis tests for alcohol dependent patients in acute and mental health services. The 2020-21 CQUIN is available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/commissioning-for-quality-and-innovation-cquin-guidance-for-2020-2021/

Alcoholism: Rehabilitation

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the (a) funding allocated and (b) real terms change in funding for alcohol treatment services in (i) England, (ii) London and (iii) Suffolk since 2012.

Jo Churchill: Alcohol treatment services are part of local government’s public health responsibilities. There is no specific allocation for alcohol treatment services. It is for local authorities to make funding decisions for public health services based on local population priorities. Reported local authority spend on alcohol treatment services for adults since 2013 is shown in the attached table. Information is not available for spend prior to the transfer of these services to local government in 2013.Reported Spend on Alcohol Treatment Services (docx, 19.7KB)

Obesity: Health Services

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to progress  the Government’s commitment to expanding NHS weight management services in England in the July 2020 obesity strategy; and if he will make a statement.

Jo Churchill: Through ‘Tackling obesity: empowering adults and children to live healthier lives’ we are delivering a range of measures on weight management, including expanding weight management services to help more people get the support they need and making conversations about weight in primary care the norm. Further details about these measures will be available shortly.

Obesity: Health Services

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Spending Review 2020 and OBR Forecast statement on 25 November 2020, what plans the Government has to provide funding to expand access to weight management services; and if he will make a statement.

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when weight management services will be delivered in more locations; and if he will make a statement.

Jo Churchill: Through ‘Tackling obesity: empowering adults and children to live healthier lives’ we are delivering a range of measures on weight management, including expanding weight management services to help more people get the support they need and making conversations about weight in primary care the norm. Further details about these measures will be available shortly.

Healthy Start Scheme

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department (a) holds and (b) is able to publish on who is eligible for Healthy Start Vouchers.

Jo Churchill: People are eligible for the Healthy Start scheme if they are claiming any of the following benefits or tax credits: - Income Support;- Income-based Job Seeker’s Allowance;- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance;- Child Tax Credit with an annual family income of £16,190 or less;- Universal Credit with family take-home pay of less than £408 per month; and- Pension Credit.Eligibility for the Healthy Start scheme is kept under continuous review. It aligns closely with other passported benefits and was expanded in June 2019 to include Pension Credit beneficiaries with children in their care.

Energy Drinks: Children

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department plans to implement the ban on the sale of energy drinks to under 16s.

Jo Churchill: In July 2019, following public consultation, the Government confirmed it will end the sale of energy drinks to children under the age of 16. We will be setting out our full response to the consultation as soon as possible.

Healthy Start Scheme

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the uprating of Healthy Start vouchers.

Jo Churchill: The Government announced on 8 November 2020 that the Healthy Start voucher value will increase from £3.10 to £4.25 in England from April 2021. This will provide additional support to pregnant women and families on lower incomes to make healthy food choices.

Vaccination

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the need for vaccines to be suitable for people who are (a) immunocompromised and who cannot receive a live vaccine and (b) allergic to commonly used vaccine components or carrier liquids.

Jo Churchill: The Green Book ‘Immunisation against infectious disease’ provides information on vaccines and vaccination procedures for all the vaccine preventable infectious diseases in the United Kingdom. This is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immunisation-against-infectious-disease-the-green-book#the-green-bookThe Green book offers guidance, but specialist advice may also be sought depending on individual circumstances and an assessment weighing the benefits and the risks of the vaccination and what potential alternatives there are.For those who cannot receive a specific vaccine, there may be a suitable alternative or they may not receive the vaccination. Depending on the type of vaccine required, population herd protection may already be established affording indirect protection to unvaccinated individuals. It may also be possible to vaccinate household and other close contacts instead. A vaccine can also be offered before and after any immunosuppressive treatment.

Addictions: Staffordshire

Jonathan Gullis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve addiction support services in (a) Stoke-on-Trent and (b) Staffordshire.

Jo Churchill: Local authorities are responsible for assessing local needs and commissioning drug and alcohol prevention, treatment and harm reduction services. Public Health England supports Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire local authorities by providing advice, guidance and data to help them assess local need and commission services accordingly. Local authority spending through the public health grant will be maintained in the next financial year, meaning local authorities can continue to invest in prevention and essential frontline health services and this includes drug and alcohol treatment and recovery services.

Cannabis: Medical Treatments

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of prescribing cannabis-based medicinal products through the NHS to treat (a) autism spectrum disorder and (b) attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Jo Churchill: The Department has made no such assessment.   Decisions relating to the prescribing of cannabis-based medicines are made on a case-by-case basis and whether to treat remains a clinical decision. The Department has been clear that where a cannabis-based medicinal product is appropriately prescribed, the patient must be able to access it.

Prescription Drugs

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 12 January 2021 to Question 133917 on Prescription Drugs, what progress has been made on implementing the recommendations of the Public Health England review entitled Dependence and withdrawal associated with some prescribed medicines; and what his timescale is for publishing a report on progress on implementing those recommendations.

Jo Churchill: An oversight group has been established by NHS England and NHS Improvement to oversee the recommendations of the Public Health England Review on prescribed medicines.The group is focusing on the implementation of the recommendations, ensuring alignment with other relevant programmes already underway in the National Health Service and overseeing any new policy initiatives being taken forward in in response to the review.This work is a priority and implementation of the recommendations is being taken forward as quickly as possible, taking into account other pressures on healthcare professionals and the NHS. With progress having been initially delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, an update on the programme is expected later this year or early in 2022.

Prescription Drugs

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the number of unique patients who have been prescribed drugs categorised under the drug groups (a) benzodiazepines including clonazepam, (b) z-drugs, (c) antidepressants and (d) opioids in the each of the last three years.

Jo Churchill: The following table shows the number of unique patients that were prescribed for benzodiazepines including clonazepam, z-drugs, antidepressants and opioids on a National Health Service prescription and dispensed in the community in England in each of the last three calendar years. Data up to and including October 2020 is the latest available data.Drug GroupingCalendar YearTotal number of unique identified patientsPercentage (%) of items where the patient has been identifiedBenzodiazepines (including clonazepam)20181,559,02595.2620191,513,74795.772020 to October1,254,23896.86Z-drugs2018967,51096.932019925,38497.142020 to October794,62698.01Antidepressants20187,513,21497.9020197,800,13698.122020 to October7,473,04798.88Opioid analgesics20183,057,07795.3320192,998,10496.932020 to October2,661,87498.30 Source:NHS Business Services Authority Information Services ePACT2 system.

Fluoride: Drinking Water

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the Government will announce further details of its water fluoridation plans.

Jo Churchill: Improving oral health is a priority for the Government. The scientific evidence suggests that water fluoridation is effective in reducing levels of tooth decay. Water fluoridation as a key initiative is set out in the prevention Green Paper: ‘Advancing our health: Prevention in the 2020s’, published in July 2019. Further details of proposed next steps will be announced in due course.

Food: Advertising

Christian Wakeford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to exempt products that are (a) high in protein and (b) low in sugar in its ban of online advertising for unhealthy foods.

Christian Wakeford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to include an exemption for products (a) high in protein and (b) low in sugar in its plans to restrict promotions of products high in fat, sugar and salt by location or price.

Jo Churchill: The current proposal for what food and drink is classed as in scope of further advertising restrictions online and on TV, is to use the categories originally put forward by Public Health England (PHE) as part of the calorie reduction programme, sugar reduction programme and the soft drinks industry levy overlaying this with the 2004/05 Nutrient Profiling Model. Officials are considering the final list put forward by PHE as well as views fed in as part of the consultation process to come to a final decision on what products are in scope and will publish our full response to the consultation shortly. In December 2020 we published our response to the 2019 consultation on restricting promotions of products that are high fat, salt or sugar (HFSS) by location and price. The response confirmed the categories in scope of the restrictions and that the 2004/05 Nutrient Profiling Model will be used to define whether a product in these categories is HFSS. The Nutrient Profiling Model uses a simple scoring system where points allocated for ‘C’ nutrients (fruit, vegetables and nut content, fibre and protein) are subtracted from ‘A’ nutrients (energy, saturated fat, total sugar and sodium). Foods scoring four or more points, and drinks scoring one or more points, are classified as ‘less healthy’ and will be subject to the restrictions.

Prescription Drugs

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 12 January 2021 to Question 133917 on Prescription Drugs, if he will provide an explanation of the meaning of the phrase to optimise prescribing of dependence forming medicines provided in that Answer.

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 22 October 2020 to Question 95679 on Drugs: Misuse, for what reason the independent review by Dame Carol Black into illicit drug use will inform the implementation of recommendations relating to prescription drug dependency.

Jo Churchill: Phase two of Dame Carol Black’s review covering treatment services will be published later this year and will be made available to the National Oversight Group overseeing the National Health Service’s implementation of recommendations from Public Health England’s prescribed medicines review alongside other relevant materials.Medicines optimisation is defined in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidelines as ‘a person-centred approach to safe and effective medicines use, to ensure people obtain the best possible outcomes from their medicines’. This includes prescription of medicines which may give rise to dependency when these are clinically justified.

Dental Services: Coronavirus

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to NHS England's News release of 6 April 2020, entitled  Dental Commissioning Statistics, England – March 2020, when he plans for the collection of data to be resumed on the amount of NHS dental work being carried; what assessment he has made of whether the number of patients requiring emergency treatment has increased as a result of reduced dental service activity due to the implementation of covid-19 infection prevention and control requirements; and if he will make a statement.

Jo Churchill: NHS England and NHS Improvement advise that no date has yet been set for the resumption of its publication of Dental Commissioning Statistics, England.As soon as dental practices began restoring services from 8 June 2020, data has been collected covering the provision of both remote and face to face care. NHS dental activity statistics from June to December 2020 will be included in the ‘NHS Dental statistics for England 2020-21, Biannual Report’, due to be published on 25 February.

Cancer: Medical Treatments

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people received (a) chemotherapy and (b) radiotherapy for the treatment of (i) breast cancer, (ii) bowel cancer, (iii) lung cancer, (iv) blood cancer and (v) prostate cancer in each of the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Jo Churchill: The information is not available in the format requested.

Dental Services: Canterbury

Rosie Duffield: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people were registered with an NHS dentist in Canterbury district in each of the last 10 years.

Rosie Duffield: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS dentistry appointments were carried out in Canterbury district in each of the last 10 years.

Jo Churchill: Registration is not required as part of the current contractual arrangements and data on patients registered with a National Health Service dentist in Canterbury is not held centrally. Data on dental appointments is not held as it is not collected in a form that includes information on individual appointments.

Podiatry: Recruitment

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 25 November 2020 to Question 117279, what steps his Department is taking in response to the covid-19 outbeak to recruit podiatrists into the NHS workforce.

Jo Churchill: The latest data from Universities and Colleges Admissions Service shows there were 275 acceptances on podiatry courses in England in the last year, an increase of 95 or 53% on 2019. For podiatry and all professions with clinical placements funded through Health Education England (HEE), we are closely monitoring the impact of COVID-19 and supporting local innovation to resolve challenges on the ground through close collaboration with Higher Education Institutions and placement providers. In addition, HEE are supporting placements innovation and local solutions, including supporting the expansion to support the increase in new students from September through a £15 million Clinical Education Placement Expansion funding.

Fluoride: Drinking Water

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of potential merits of rolling out water fluoridation.

Jo Churchill: Public Health England (PHE) published a comparative assessment of the effects on dental health of living in a fluoridated area compared to non-fluoridated area in the Water Fluoridation Health monitoring report for England 2018. The report found that water fluoridation is an effective and safe public health measure to reduce the prevalence and severity of dental caries and reduce dental health inequalities. The report is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/water-fluoridation-health-monitoring-report-for-england-2018PHE, is required by legislation to monitor the effects of water fluoridation schemes on the health of people living in the areas covered by these arrangements and to produce reports at no greater than four-yearly intervals. The first report was published in 2014 and the second in 2018. They are available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/water-fluoridation-health-monitoring-report-for-england-2014https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/water-fluoridation-health-monitoring-report-for-england-2018

Cancer: Health Services

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to publish cancer catch-up programmes for each health area.

Jo Churchill: To support overall restoration and recovery work across the country, NHS England and NHS Improvement established a Cancer Recovery Taskforce, bringing together colleagues from across the cancer community to input into the development, publication and delivery of the national cancer recovery plan. The recovery plan was published on 14 December at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/wp-content/uploads/sites/52/2020/12/C0821-COVID-19-Cancer-services-recovery-plan-14-December-2020.pdfThe plan outlines actions under the three key aims from phase three for recovering cancer services. These are to restore demand at least to pre-pandemic levels, take immediate steps to reduce the number of people waiting over 62 days from urgent referral and ensure sufficient capacity to meet demand. NHS England and NHS Improvement look to National Health Service regions and Cancer Alliances to lead the recovery locally.

Dental Health

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to roll out (a) fluoride optimisation in water supplies and (b) other preventative measures to improve oral health.

Jo Churchill: In ‘Advancing our health; Prevention in the 2020s’, the Government committed to consulting on rolling out a supervised toothbrushing scheme in more pre-school and primary school settings in England, and to exploring ways of removing the funding barriers to fluoridating water, a clinically effective intervention to improve oral health, to encourage more local areas that are interested to come forward with proposals.Public Health England has published several toolkits including a supervised toothbrushing and water fluoridation toolkit to support the commissioning and delivery of these programmes. These toolkits are available at the following links:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/improving-oral-health-supervised-tooth-brushing-programme-toolkithttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/improving-oral-health-community-water-fluoridation-toolkitThis sits alongside local authorities’ responsibilities for bringing forward oral health-based interventions for the general population, as needed in their local areas.

Coronavirus: Protective Clothing

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's policy paper, Personal protective equipment (PPE) strategy: stabilise and build resilience, published on 29 September 2020, what assessment he has made of whether the four months' stockpile of PPE during winter 2020-21 is adequate to protect healthcare workers.

Jo Churchill: Since February 2020 we have ordered almost 32 billion items of personal protective equipment (PPE), the majority of which has already been delivered or is on its way and by December we had built a four-month stockpile of all COVID-critical PPE.We are confident we have secured enough PPE for the ongoing challenges of COVID-19 and that we have the processes and logistics in place to distribute PPE to where it is needed.

Members: Correspondence

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to ensure that the Chief Dental Officer at NHS England responds to the letter of 7 September 2020 from the hon. Member for West Lancashire on dental procedures, reference ZA52357.

Jo Churchill: The Department has been notified that the Chief Dental Officer responded to the hon. Member’s letter on 20 November 2020.

Dental Services: Home Care Services

Colleen Fletcher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of adequacy of dental provision for people who are considered housebound; and what assessment he has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on the provision of domiciliary dental services.

Jo Churchill: NHS England is responsible for commissioning primary care dental services, including domiciliary services. Domiciliary dental services may be delivered by any dentist holding a contract to deliver general dental services or may be specifically commissioned by NHS England locally as an additional service.In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, remote triage is being used to assess patients requiring domiciliary treatment, prioritising those requiring urgent dental treatment that cannot be managed remotely. Due to the Infection Prevention and Control measures required, face to face interventions require significant planning, particularly for patients in shared care settings. Therefore, risk assessments and remote triage are vital to ensure that patient outcomes are not compromised considering the high community prevalence of COVID-19. The regional NHS England and NHS Improvement commissioning team will continue to monitor and review domiciliary provision as part of the wider recovery and restoration of services planning.

Prescription Drugs

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the national review of overprescribing in the NHS led by Chief Pharmaceutical Officer Dr Keith Ridge will be published.

Jo Churchill: The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care asked Dr Keith Ridge, Chief Pharmaceutical Officer for England, to lead a review of overprescribing in December 2018. The work was paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic because the majority of the participants have National Health Service clinical roles but has now resumed. The report will be finalised in the coming weeks.

Coronavirus: Quarantine

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to provide (a) personal protective equipment, (b) sanitiser and (c) other support to people required to shield during the covid-19 outbreak.

Jo Churchill: Those considered as clinically extremely vulnerable are being advised to shield during the period of national lockdown and the Government is providing support with shopping, free medicines deliveries and helping in the provision of other basic needs.Personal protective equipment and sanitiser are not provided to the clinically extremely vulnerable as part of the Government’s support package. Both are readily available to be purchased at many shops, and can be delivered by friends, family or the NHS Volunteer Service. Alternatively, such items could be delivered directly from supermarkets and clinically extremely vulnerable people are able to request priority delivery slots.

Vitamin B12

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance has been given to GP Surgeries on continuing B12 injections throughout the covid-19 outbreak.

Jo Churchill: The British Committee for Standards in Haematology (BCSH), which operates independently of the Department and NHS England and produces evidence-based guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment of haematological disease, has published a range of guidance in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, including guidance on the management of B12 deficiency.On B12 injections, the BCSH guidance recommends that screening questions for COVID-19 infection are asked before patients attend their general practitioner surgeries and that alternatives to attending the surgery such as local pharmacies or home administration by district nurses should be explored. The full guidance is available at the following link:b-s-h.org.uk/media/18259/bsh-guidance-b12-replacement-covid-1924042020finalversion2020-4-3.pdf

Coronavirus: Key Workers

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to support key workers living with and providing care for extremely clinically vulnerable people who are shielding during the covid-19 outbreak who are required to physically attend their workplace during the covid-19 outbreak.

Jo Churchill: Current advice is that people who live in a household with someone that is considered clinically extremely vulnerable do not have to shield themselves. Shielding advice is only for the individual considered clinically extremely vulnerable. The Government’s advice is that everyone should work from home where possible. Where this is not possible, those not considered clinically extremely vulnerable can continue to attend the workplace. All employers are required to take steps to reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19 in the workplace and employers should be able to explain to employees the measures they have put in place to keep them safe at work.

Coronavirus: Gyms

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the need to close gyms in (a) the Liverpool City Region, (b) Lancashire, and (c) all other areas that are subject to tier three covid-19 restrictions.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Hygiene and social distancing measures are vitally important for reducing the transmission risk of COVID-19. We know that the virus spreads readily in any indoor environment where members of different households and/or support bubbles spend time together, so the transmission risk in indoor settings, such as gyms, remains high.We recognise the efforts that have been made to reduce risk across a range of venues. As decisions are based on a number of factors, it is possible for variation to exist between different local authority areas.

Gyms: Coronavirus

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reasons gyms are (a) required to close in the Liverpool City Region and (b) permitted to stay open in Lancashire under the highest level covid-19 restrictions.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Hygiene and social distancing measures are vitally important for reducing the transmission risk of COVID-19. We know that the virus spreads readily in any indoor environment where members of different households and/or support bubbles spend time together, so the transmission risk in indoor settings, such as gyms, remains high.We recognise the efforts that have been made to reduce risk across a range of venues. As decisions are based on a number of factors, it is possible for variation to exist between different local authority areas.

Coronavirus: Gyms

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason gyms have been instructed to close in Halton in response to the imposition of tier 3 covid local lockdown restrictions and not in Lancashire which has also been placed into tier 3.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Hygiene and social distancing measures are vitally important for reducing the transmission risk of COVID-19. We know that the virus spreads readily in any indoor environment where members of different households and/or support bubbles spend time together, so the transmission risk in indoor settings, such as gyms, remains high.We recognise the efforts that have been made to reduce risk across a range of venues. As decisions are based on a number of factors, it is possible for variation to exist between different local authority areas and tiers.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish a comprehensive and holistic assessment of the threat posed to the health of people under sixty years of age who have not received non-covid-19 related (a) treatments and (b) diagnoses as a result of the covid-19 lockdowns compared with the threat posed by the covid-19 virus.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Department has no plans to make such an assessment.Social distancing requirements introduced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic have not restricted access to NHS services. The regulations provide an explicit exemption from requirement to stay at home and gathering limits for seeking medical assistance.The NHS has continued its public information campaign to encourage people to access NHS services when they need to.

Coronavirus: Greater London

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to make a separate decision for each London borough when determining which covid-19 tier areas should enter after 2 December 2020.

Ms Nadine Dorries: In September 2020, the Mayor of London, on behalf all London local authorities, signed an agreement with the Department that London local authorities will respond to the COVID-19 pandemic as a region. Since then, London councils, through their various governance bodies, have regularly reiterated their desire to respond as a region.

Secure Psychiatric Units

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many suicides there have been by category of sex in NHS secure mental health units in each (a) Clinical Commissioning Group and (b) local authority area in each year since 2015.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The data is not available in the format requested.

Coronavirus: Homelessness

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the correlation between covid-19 mortality rates and homelessness.

Ms Nadine Dorries: In July 2020, the Office for National Statistics’ data indicated that 16 deaths due to COVID-19 occurred in the homeless population between 1 January and 26 June 2020. During that period, nearly 15,000 vulnerable homeless people were housed in emergency accommodation, including hotels, to reduce the risk of transmission. By November the Government had supported around 33,000 people with nearly 10,000 currently in emergency accommodation and over 23,000 already moved on into longer-term accommodation since the pandemic began.The Department of Health and Social Care is working closely with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government, NHS England and NHS Improvement and Public Health England to ensure a rapid joint health and housing response to protect some of the most vulnerable in society throughout the pandemic.

Mental Health Services: Children

Mohammad Yasin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many children have had to wait six months or more for a CAMHS appointment in Bedford and Kempston in the most recent period for which that information is available; and if he will make a statement.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The information is not collected in the format requested. A national access and waiting times standard for child and adolescent mental health services has not yet been defined.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish plans for easement of the covid-19 lockdown announced in January 2021 to allow a consultation on those proposals prior to them coming into force.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Government committed to allow Parliament, wherever practicable, to vote on measures of national significance in advance of them coming into force.

Department for Education

Turing Scheme

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what financial assistance will be available for (a) institutions and (b) projects for the administration costs of bidding for funding under the Turing scheme.

Michelle Donelan: The Turing scheme will be backed by at least £100 million, providing funding for around 35,000 students in universities, colleges and schools to go on placements and exchanges overseas, starting in September 2021. We will be making further information available very shortly to enable providers to prepare to bid for funding when applications open in spring 2021 for placements taking place from September 2021. Successful applications will receive funding for administering the scheme and students taking part will receive grants to help them with the costs of their international experience.I am pleased to confirm that the new scheme will be administered by the same consortium of British Council and Ecorys which have been delivering Erasmus+ in the UK for a number of years, drawing on their experience of working with education providers across the UK, and ensuring continuity.Further details of the scheme will be published shortly.

Pre-school Education: Coronavirus

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps is he taking to ensure that his Department's annual early years census will take account of children being absent from nursery settings as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.

Vicky Ford: On 17 December 2020, the government announced a return to funding early years settings for the spring term on the basis of attendance, as measured by the January 2021 census. The early years census count is still going ahead as expected and the census guidance is unchanged. To support local authorities we have issued some technical advice on how that guidance can be applied this year.In summary, children who are ill or self-isolating can be counted, as can those whose parents have temporarily withdrawn their children from open nurseries and childminders out of caution, and so long as the parent/guardian has not altered their parental declaration relating to expected hours with the provider.Children should not be counted in the census where a setting has closed or restricted attendance, unless as a result of situations as set out in the supporting technical advice eg. staff sickness, COVID-19 isolation, staff shielding.

Pupils: Mental Health

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how the Wellbeing for Education Return programme has (a) supported children since its introduction in September 2020 and (b) how the funding for that programme has been distributed to date by region.

Vicky Ford: The department has worked with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), Health Education England (HEE), Public Health England (PHE) and key voluntary sector organisations, to deliver Wellbeing for Education Return. This project, backed by £8m, has trained local experts to provide additional advice and resources for schools and colleges to help support pupil and student, parent and carer, and staff wellbeing, resilience and recovery in light of the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 outbreak and lockdown. It is intended to give education staff the confidence to support pupils and students, their parents, carers and their own colleagues, and know how and where to access appropriate specialist support where needed.Wellbeing for Education Return funding was distributed to all local authority areas in England on 30 September 2020. Local authorities have been funded according to the number of state funded schools and colleges in their locality. Further details on allocations can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/wellbeing-for-education-return-grant-s31-grant-determination-letter.Local experts from 97% of England’s Local Authority areas have now been trained to deliver support and resources into schools and colleges.Over 85% of local authority areas in England have reported that they are delivering additional training and support into local schools and colleges as a result of funding. Nationally, our information indicates that more than 15,000 education settings are being offered this additional training and support.In recognition of the significant pressures on school and college staff, local areas are tailoring their support, and offering interactive training sessions and follow up support on key themes to support the mental health and wellbeing of staff and pupils in response to COVID-19.

Assessments: Coronavirus

Mick Whitley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of cancelling examinations for (a) Key Stage Two, (b) GCSE and (c) A-Level students and awarding pupils centre-assessed grades in 2020.

Nick Gibb: In light of the growth in COVID-19 rates we are seeing as a result of the newly identified strain of the virus, the Government needs to limit attendance at schools and colleges to reduce the number of contacts that we have with people in other households. This is now essential to protect the NHS. This means that we do not think it is possible or fair for examinations in the summer to go ahead as planned.The department and Ofqual have launched a two-week consultation on how to fairly award all pupils a grade that supports them to progress to the next stage of their lives, including consulting specifically on four different approaches for private candidates to receive a grade.The consultation can be accessed from the Ofqual website and will be open until 29 January.The restricted attendance in primary schools has also meant primary assessments cannot continue as intended. The statutory key stage 1 and key stage 2 tests and teacher assessments planned for summer 2021, including the key stage 2 tests in reading and mathematics, will be cancelled. We remain determined to ensure that every young person, no matter their age or background, is provided with the education and opportunities they deserve despite the challenges faced by schools. We know that schools will continue to use assessment during the summer term to inform teaching, to enable them to give information to parents on their child’s attainment in their statutory annual report and to support transition to secondary school. We strongly encourage schools to use past test papers in their assessment of pupils.Primary assessments have a crucial role in supporting pupils to grasp the basics of reading, writing and mathematics and to prepare them for secondary school. As such, these arrangements will apply for summer 2021 only, and the Department is planning for a full programme of primary assessments to take place in the 2021/22 academic year. This will include the introduction of the statutory Reception Baseline Assessment and Multiplication Tables Check as previously announced. We will confirm full details for 2021/22 primary assessments in due course.

Schools: Mental Health Services

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made (a) of the number of schools without direct access to in-school counsellors to support children’s and young people’s mental health and well-being in schools and colleges and (b) how such provision varies by local authority.

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the availability of in-school counsellors to provide face-to-face mental health support for teachers and staff in schools and colleges.

Vicky Ford: We do not collect regular information on the provision of counselling in schools or colleges for pupils and staff. Our most recent survey of mental health provision in schools and colleges published in 2017 found that 61% of schools and colleges (56% of primary schools, 84% of secondary schools and 93% of colleges) reported offering access to counselling service for their pupils.Counselling can play a particularly effective role as part of a whole-school or college approach. Many schools already provide their pupils access to counselling support. It is important for schools and colleges to have the freedom to decide what support to offer to students and staff based on their particular needs and drawing on an evidence base of effective practice. This support can come from a number of sources, including counselling.To support the provision of counselling support in schools, the department published a blueprint for school counselling services. This provides schools with practical, evidence-based advice, informed by schools and counselling experts, on how to deliver high quality school-based counselling. It also offers information on how to ensure that vulnerable children, including those who have special educational needs and disabilities, are looked after children or identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, who have a higher prevalence to mental illness, can access counselling provision. Further guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/counselling-in-schools.The government is investing £8 million in the new Wellbeing for Education Return programme which is funding expert advisers who will be able to train and support schools and colleges in every area of England and can make links to available local authority provision, including counselling. Alongside this, the department launched a £95,000 pilot led by the Education Support charity to provide online peer support and telephone counselling from experts to around 250 school leaders. The pilot will end in March 2021. The outcome of the pilot will inform any future wellbeing and mental health interventions for staff.To increase support further in the long term, we remain committed to our joint green paper delivery programme with the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England, including introducing new mental health support teams linked to schools and colleges, providing training for senior mental health leads in schools and colleges, and testing approaches to faster access to NHS specialist support.

Children: Remote Education

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when all pupils will have access to the IT and broadband required to access education remotely if not in school during the covid-19 outbreak.

Nick Gibb: The Government is investing over £400 million to support access to remote education and online social care services.As of Monday 25 January, we have delivered over 870,000 laptops and tablets to schools, trusts and local authorities. Laptops and tablets are owned by schools, trusts or local authorities who can lend these to children and young people who need them most during the current COVID-19 restrictions.We have partnered with the UK’s leading mobile operators to provide free data to help disadvantaged children get online as well as delivering 4G wireless routers for pupils without connection at home.We are grateful to EE, O2, Sky Mobile, Smarty, Tesco Mobile, Three, Virgin Mobile, and Vodafone. We continue to invite a range of mobile network providers to support the offer.A number of mobile network providers are also progressing the zero-rating of educational resources, such as Oak Academy and BBC Bitesize.

Digital Technology

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on progress on tackling the digital divide.

Nick Gibb: The Department is in constant communication with colleagues at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) on tackling the digital divide. The Department also plays an active role in the DCMS led “Digital Skills Partnership Computing in Schools” group. The Co-Chairs of this group have recently had a letter of support from my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, for their work on improving the value of digital skills and digital careers awareness.In the immediate term, as part of the Government’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak, we are investing over £400 million to support access to remote education and online social care services, including securing 1.3 million laptops and tablets for disadvantaged children and young people.The Department has also partnered with the UK’s leading mobile operators to provide free data to help disadvantaged children get online as well as delivering 4G wireless routers for pupils without connection at home.

Holiday Play Schemes: Free School Meals

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 16 November 2020 to Question 114167, how much funding is planned to be allocated to each local authority in the North East from the Holiday Activities and Food programme in 2021.

Vicky Ford: On 16 December, we wrote to all local authorities to inform them of their individual indicative allocation of funding for the Holiday Activities and Food programme 2021. We are working closely with colleagues from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to finalise grant determination documentation, which will be published on the GOV.UK website in due course.

Teachers: Coronavirus

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the number of supply teaching staff not enrolled on the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme on the recruitment and retention of teaching staff in the (a) 2020-21 and (b) 2021-22 academic years.

Nick Gibb: The Department does not hold data on the number of supply teachers that have, or conversely have not, accessed support via the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS).Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs has released estimates of the number, and value, of claims made to the CJRS. This outlines the number of companies, and employees who have been supported by the CJRS by employment sector, including education. However, the statistical release does not provide data on specific job roles within a sector.CJRS statistics can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/coronavirus-job-retention-scheme-statistics-december-2020.The Department does not hold data on the total number of supply teachers. Officials continue to engage with suppliers on the Department and Crown Commercial Service’s supply teacher framework to monitor demand and capacity.

Students: Coronavirus

Mick Whitley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what his Department’s policy is on (a) tuition fees refunds for university students who are participating in remote learning during the covid-19 outbreak and (b) rent rebates for university students who are not able to return to university accommodation.

Mick Whitley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will meet with (a) university leaders and (b) student representatives to discuss (i) tuition fees refunds for university students who are participating in remote learning during the covid-19 outbreak and (ii) rent rebates for university students who are not able to return to university accommodation.

Michelle Donelan: This has been a very difficult time for students, and the government is working with the sector to make sure all reasonable efforts are being made to enable students to continue their studies.On tuition fees, the government’s clear and stated expectation is that universities should maintain the quality and quantity of tuition and seek to ensure that all students regardless of their background have the resources to study remotely. This is more important than ever at the moment with the vast majority of students studying solely online. The sector has put in significant resources and worked hard to provide and prepare learning materials for this academic year and there are some fantastic and innovative approaches to delivering high-quality online learning.Universities are autonomous and responsible for setting their own fees, up to a maximum of £9,250 for approved (fee cap) institutions. Maximum fees have been frozen for the current 2020/21 academic year and also for 2021/22, the fourth year in succession fees have been frozen. The Office for Students (OfS), as regulator for higher education (HE) providers in England, has made it clear that HE providers must continue to comply with registration conditions relating to quality and academic standards, which set out requirements to ensure that courses are high-quality, that students are supported and achieve good outcomes and that standards are protected, regardless of whether a provider is delivering its courses through face-to-face teaching, remote online learning, or a combination of both.We continue to regularly engage the sector in discussion on this issue, including student representative groups, and I met with the National Union of Students and OfS student panel only last week. I wrote to the OfS on 13 January 2021 outlining the government’s expectations of the higher education sector following the new national lockdown. Following this, the OfS wrote to provider Accountable Officers, setting out the actions they are taking in connection with providers’ compliance to existing regulatory requirements. We expect providers to ensure that continuing and prospective students receive the clear, accurate and timely information needed to make informed decisions.Whether or not an individual student is entitled to a refund of fees will depend on the specific contractual arrangements between the provider and student. If students have concerns, there is a process in place. They should first raise their concerns with their university. If their concerns remain unresolved, students at providers in England or Wales can ask the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA) for Higher Education to consider their complaint.With regards to accommodation, universities and private accommodation providers are autonomous and are responsible for setting their own rent agreements. The government plays no direct role in the provision of student residential accommodation.However, we recently announced up to £20 million to help students most in need of support in these exceptional circumstances, for example those struggling to cover accommodation costs as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, in addition to an existing £256 million universities can use to help students. The government urges universities and private accommodation providers to be fair in their decisions about rent charges for this period. We welcome the news that a number of universities and large companies have already offered rent rebates for students that have been asked to stay away from their accommodation.The OIA website is available here: https://www.oiahe.org.uk/.The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has published guidance on consumer contracts, cancellation and refunds affected by COVID-19. This sets out the CMA’s view on how the law operates to help consumers understand their rights and help businesses treat their customers fairly. This is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cma-to-investigate-concerns-about-cancellation-policies-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic/the-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic-consumer-contracts-cancellation-and-refunds.The OfS has also published guidance on student consumer protection during the COVID-19 outbreak, which is available here: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/for-students/student-and-consumer-protection-during-coronavirus/.

Remote Education: Computer Viruses

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many laptops or other devices supplied to schools and local Authorities by his Department, as part of the Get Help with Technology Programme, were infected with Gamarue malware.

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which company or companies supplied laptops to his Department, as part of the Get Help with Technology Programme, that were infected with Gamarue malware.

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what security checks his Department performs on laptops and other devices purchased from third parties before sending those devices to schools and local authorities as part of its Get Help with Technology programme.

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, on what date his Department learned that laptops provided to schools by the Government were infected by the gamarue virus, and how they made this discovery.

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the risks posed by laptops infected with the gamarue virus provided by his Department to the (a) privacy, (b) safeguarding and (c) security of children, young people and their families using those laptops; and what assessment he has made of the potential risk of the transmission of that virus to other devices and households.

Nick Gibb: To date, the Department has received reports of the presence of a software virus on 33 laptops out of 800,000 devices provided to schools. The virus was detected as part of the setup of the device by the schools before they were passed to pupils.The first notification of an issue was on 7 January 2021, with further notifications in the 3 weeks after, up to the 22 January. The windows laptops affected were ones where the school had chosen to set up the device themselves, rather than accept a Department for Education build.In all known cases, the virus was automatically detected and removed immediately by the included antivirus software during the installation process.The Department have been in constant contact with suppliers and relevant parties to understand and resolve this issue, and firmly believe this is a contained incident which we are dealing with at pace.All devices without a Department for Education build are provided by the supplier from the point of manufacture directly to the school. The Department are reliant upon schools accepting the responsibility to install and configure any new devices in line with advice and guidance provided by both the Department and the National Cyber Security Centre.In no circumstances should there be an occurrence of any child receiving a device that has not been securely and properly set up. Once the device is issued to a pupil, the ongoing risks associated with privacy, safeguarding and security of those devices and its users is entirely based upon how the schools and Local Authorities manage them.The Department takes online safety and security extremely seriously. Any schools that have concerns about devices should contact the support desk at: https://get-help-with-tech.education.gov.uk.

Students: Housing

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department plans to provide financial support to university students who have been unable to return to their student accommodation due to the covid-19 lockdown restrictions implemented on 5 January 2021.

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if his Department will take steps to encourage private landlords providing student accommodation to offer a rebate to those unable to access their accommodation due to Government covid-19 guidance.

Michelle Donelan: Universities and private accommodation providers are autonomous and responsible for setting their own rent agreements. The government plays no direct role in the provision of student accommodation.This has been a very difficult time for students, and we encourage universities and accommodation providers to review their accommodation policies to ensure they are fair, transparent and have the best interests of students at heart.We recognise that in these exceptional circumstances some students may face financial hardship. The Department for Education has worked with the Office for Students to clarify that providers are able to draw on existing funds, worth around £256 million for academic year 2020/21, towards hardship support. The government is making available up to a further £20 million on a one-off basis to support those that need it most, particularly disadvantaged students. As my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, said on the 7 January 2021, we are considering what more we can do to provide further support to students.Maintenance loans are available as a contribution towards a student’s living costs while attending university. The system targets the most living cost support at those from the lowest income families, who need it most.Students undertaking courses that would normally require attendance on-site, but for which learning has moved either fully or partially online due to the COVID-19 outbreak, will qualify for living costs support in the 2020/21 academic year as they would ordinarily, provided they continue to engage with their higher education provider. This also applies when the student is prevented from attending the course physically and is required to study online due to shielding.If students have concerns about their accommodation fees, they should first raise their concerns with their accommodation provider. If their concerns remain unresolved, and their higher education provider is involved in the provision of the accommodation, students at providers in England or Wales can ask the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education to consider their complaint.If a student thinks their accommodation provider is treating them unfairly, they can raise a complaint under the accommodation codes of practice as long as their provider is a code member. The codes can be found at: https://www.thesac.org.uk/, https://www.unipol.org.uk/the-code/how-to-complain and https://www.rla.org.uk/about/nrla-code-of-practice.shtml.

Pre-school Education: Staff

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will continue to pay providers of early years education for children who are not able to attend; and if he will make a statement.

Vicky Ford: On 17 December 2020 the Government announced a return to funding early years settings for the spring term on the basis of attendance, as measured by the January 2021 census. The Early Years census count is still going ahead as expected and the census guidance is unchanged. To support local authorities, we have issued some technical advice on how that guidance can be applied this year.In summary, children who are ill or self-isolating can be counted, as can those whose parents have temporarily withdrawn their children from open nurseries and childminders out of caution, and so long as the parent/guardian has not altered their parental declaration relating to expected hours with the provider.Children should not be counted in the census where a setting has closed or restricted attendance, unless as a result of situations as set out in the supporting technical advice eg. staff sickness, COVID-19 isolation, staff shielding.We stay in regular contact with the early years sector and have heard from them already on this subject. We will be closely monitoring both parental take-up of places and the capacity and responses of providers.

Children: Day Care

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate his Department has made of the effect of the January 2021 covid-19 lockdown on demand for childcare; and what plans he has to change funding arrangements for early years providers in the Spring term of 2021 due to the lockdown and potential implications for setting occupancy levels.

Vicky Ford: Whilst we recognise childcare attendance has been affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, we saw attendance rise over the autumn term from 482,000 on 10 September 2020 to 759,000 on 17 December 2020. On 17 December 2020, the government therefore announced a return to funding early years settings on the basis on attendance. In line with the existing and unchanged statutory guidance local authorities should ensure that providers are not penalised for short-term absences of children, for example sickness, arriving late or leaving early, or a family emergency through withdrawing funding, but use their discretion where absence is recurring or for extended periods, taking into account the reason for the absence and the impact on the provider.We will fund local authorities in the 2021 spring term based on their January 2021 census. If attendance rises after the census is taken, we will top-up councils to up to 85% of their January 2020 census level, where a local authority can provide evidence for increased attendance during the spring term. This will give local authorities additional financial confidence to pay providers for increasing attendance later in the spring term.For more info on use of Early Years Dedicated Schools Grant in Spring 2021, please see here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/use-of-free-early-education-entitlements-funding-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/use-of-free-early-education-entitlements-funding-during-coronavirus-covid-19.The early years sector has benefitted from the continuation of early years entitlement funding during the during the Summer and Autumn terms in 2020, and providers have been able to furlough their staff via the Coronavirus Jobs Retention Scheme. As long as the staff meet the other criteria for the scheme, schools and early years providers are able to furlough their staff if they have experienced a drop in either their income from parents or government. Eligible nurseries can also benefit from a business rates holiday and can access the business loans as set out by my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer.We stay in regular contact with the early years sector, including on this subject. We will be closely monitoring both parental take-up of places and the capacity and responses of providers.

Children: Day Care

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will extend the adjusted calculation for the early education entitlement funding, used during the autumn 2020 term, into spring 2021, in line with the extension to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.

Vicky Ford: We recognise childcare attendance has been affected by the COVID-19 outbreak; we saw attendance rise over the autumn term from 482,000 on 10 September to 759,000 on 17 December 2020. On 17 December 2020, the government therefore announced a return to funding early years settings on the basis on attendance. In line with the existing and unchanged statutory guidance (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/use-of-free-early-education-entitlements-funding-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/use-of-free-early-education-entitlements-funding-during-coronavirus-covid-19), local authorities should ensure that providers are not penalised for short-term absences of children, (for example, sickness, arriving late or leaving early, or a family emergency through withdrawing funding), but use their discretion where absence is recurring or for extended periods, taking into account the reason for the absence and the impact on the provider.We will fund local authorities in the 2021 spring term based on their January 2021 census. If attendance rises after the census is taken, we will top-up councils to up to 85% of their January 2020 census level, where a local authority can provide evidence for increased attendance during the spring term. This will give local authorities additional financial confidence to pay providers for increasing attendance later in the spring term.We stay in regular contact with the early years sector and have heard from them already on this subject. We publish regular official statistics on attendance in early years settings (https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/attendance-in-education-and-early-years-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak) and the next release is due on Tuesday 2 February. We will be closely monitoring both parental take-up of places and the capacity and responses of providers.

Assessments: Coronavirus

Sarah Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions he has had with the National Union of Students on changes to the 2021 exam season.

Sarah Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions he has had with the Association of Colleges on changes to 2021 exam season.

Nick Gibb: The Government has announced that, from 5 January 2021, schools and colleges have moved to remote education, except for vulnerable children and children of critical workers. In light of the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, GCSE, AS and A level exams will not go ahead this summer as planned.The Department will continue to engage with a range of relevant stakeholders when developing plans for our policy on GCSE, AS and A level assessments in 2021, as will the exams regulator Ofqual. Along with regular, pre-existing reference groups and roundtable sessions, meetings with both the National Union of Students and the Association of Colleges, including regarding Vocational Qualifications, have taken place with the Department and/or Ofqual.A joint consultation has launched on how to fairly award all pupils, including private candidates and students taking vocational qualifications, with a grade that ensures they can progress to the next stage of their lives. The Department has strongly encouraged our stakeholders to respond to this.

Children: Day Care

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the financial effect on childminders of re-introducing the method of calculating early years entitlement funding that was in place before the covid-19 outbreak.

Vicky Ford: We have provided unprecedented support to early years providers throughout the COVID-19 outbreak through block-buying childcare places and schemes including furlough. Childminders are also eligible to receive support from the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme, which has been extended until the end of April 2021: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-a-grant-through-the-self-employment-income-support-scheme.Whilst we recognise childcare attendance has been affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, we saw attendance rise over the autumn term from 482,000 on 10 September to 759,000 on 17 December. On 17 December 2020, the government therefore announced a return to funding early years settings on the basis on attendance. In line with the existing and unchanged statutory guidance local authorities should ensure that providers are not penalised for short-term absences of children, for example sickness, arriving late or leaving early, or a family emergency through withdrawing funding, but use their discretion where absence is recurring or for extended periods taking into account the reason for the absence and the impact on the provider.We stay in regular contact with the early years sector, including on this subject. We will be closely monitoring both parental take-up of places and the capacity and responses of providers.The government will continue to support families with their childcare costs. My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced on 25 November an extra £44 million for the 2021-22 financial year, for local authorities to increase hourly rates paid to childcare providers for the government’s free childcare entitlement offers.

Members: Correspondence

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when he plans to respond to the letter of 10 November 2020 from the hon. Member for North Durham on support for the school travel sector.

Nick Gibb: I can confirm that a response has been sent to the letter dated 9 November 2020, from the right hon. Member for North Durham.

Remote Education: ICT

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of giving every school pupil at each Key Stage access to a laptop or desktop IT device and broadband for the future delivery of education.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many laptops have been requested by City of York Council to enable pupils to access remote learning during the covid-19 outbreak; and how many of those laptops have been delivered.

Nick Gibb: The Government is investing over £400 million to support access to remote education and online social care services, by securing 1.3 million laptops and tablets for disadvantaged children and young people. This includes over 870,000 laptops and tablets that were delivered to schools, trusts and local authorities by 25 January.The number of devices available to each school, trust and local authority is determined by their number of children eligible for Free School Meals. All schools, trusts and local authorities have now been given the opportunity to order their full current allocation of devices.The Government is providing this significant injection of devices on top of an estimated 2.9 million laptops and tablets already owned by schools before the start of the COVID-19 outbreak. On 12 January, we announced that we will be providing a further 300,000 devices over the course of this term.Figures on the number of devices delivered is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/laptops-and-tablets-data/2021-week-4. These figures are broken down by Local Authority and Academy Trust. Figures on delivery by constituency are not available.The Get Help with Technology scheme will enable schools to support disadvantaged children in years 3-11 and aged 16-19 who do not have access to a laptop or tablet privately or through school. In the context of unprecedented global demand for laptops and tablets, the year groups were set following conversations with school leaders and on the basis that children in younger years would be unlikely to be working on a laptop or tablet independently.Where pupils experience barriers to digital remote education, we expect schools to offer different forms of remote education such as printed resources or textbooks. This should be supplemented with other forms of communication to keep pupils on track or answer questions about work.We have also partnered with the UK’s leading mobile operators to provide free data for the academic year to help disadvantaged children get online. We are grateful to EE, O2, Smarty, Sky Mobile, Tesco Mobile, Three, Virgin Mobile, and Vodafone. We continue to invite a range of mobile network providers to support the offer. We have also delivered 54,000 4G wireless routers for pupil and care leavers without connection at home.

GCE A-level: Assessments

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the effect of cancelling examinations due to the covid-19 outbreak on the mental health of A-level students; and what support he plans to provide to help those students cope with the pressure of studying during the January 2021 covid-19 lockdown period.

Nick Gibb: The Government remains clear that exams are the fairest method to assess students. Given the further disruption, however, we cannot guarantee that all students will be able to sit their exams fairly this summer and GCSE, AS and A levels will not go ahead as planned. We have already confirmed our proposals that in summer 2021, students taking GCSE, AS and A levels regulated by Ofqual should be awarded grades based on an assessment by their teachers. To provide clarity to the sector as soon as possible, and to ensure that our approach is developed with the sector, Ofqual and the Department have launched a two-week consultation on how to fairly award grades for all students.The Department has worked with our partners, the Department of Health and Social Care, Health Education England, Public Health England, and key voluntary sector organisations, to deliver Wellbeing for Education Return. This project, backed by £8 million, has trained local experts to provide additional advice and resources for schools and colleges to help support pupil and student, parent and carer, and staff wellbeing, resilience, and recovery in light of the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 outbreak. It will give staff the confidence to support students, their parents, carers, and their colleagues, and know how and where to access appropriate specialist support where needed.Over 85% of local authority areas in England have told us how they are delivering additional training and support into local schools and further education providers as a result of the funding. Nationally, our information indicates that more than 15,000 schools and colleges are being offered additional training and support.In recognition of the significant pressures on school and further education provider staff, local areas are tailoring their support, and offering interactive training sessions and follow up support on key themes to support the mental health and wellbeing of staff and pupils in response to COVID-19.

Schools: Coronavirus

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether schools will be required to contribute to the cost of mass asymptomatic testing from their own budgets.

Nick Gibb: The Government will fund secondary schools and colleges that have remained open for costs relating to testing on site. We have published a workforce planning tool which illustrates the levels of funding available for school and colleges.Primary schools will not receive additional funding to carry out testing. Primary school staff (including staff in schools-based nurseries and maintained nursery schools) will be supplied with at home Lateral Flow Device (LFD) test kits which they will be able to use before coming into work. The LFDs supplied do not require laboratory processing and can provide a quick result in up to an hour in a home setting. We are seeking to minimise the burden on primary schools in relation to processing testing. No further equipment or funding is therefore required for the administration of these tests. Funding is being provided for secondary schools, colleges, and special/alternative provision settings as we are asking them to establish testing sites on the school estate.

Pupils: Coronavirus

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many primary aged pupils in Stockport were absent from school due to covid-19 in the Autumn term 2020.

Nick Gibb: The Department collects daily attendance data from schools via the educational setting status form, which was set up to help the Government monitor the impact of COVID-19 on schools and colleges.Data on reasons for pupil absence was collected from 12 October. The Department has published the number and proportion of pupils in attendance and the number and proportion of pupils absent for COVID-19 related reasons in primary schools in Stockport on each Thursday between 10 September and 17 December where available.Data is given for Wednesday 16 December instead of Thursday 17 December due to a decrease in response rates on Thursday 17 December which makes estimates for this date less reliable. Data is not given for Thursday 22 and 29 October as this data is affected by half term. Data for Thursday 22 and 29 October and 17 December are published and available in the underlying data.Local authority level figures are based on responding schools only. Response rates for primary schools in Stockport varied between 72% and 81% for the period of data provided.The following absence reasons as reported daily by schools are included in our estimates for total pupils unable to attend school because of COVID-19: confirmed cases of COVID-19, suspected cases of COVID-19, self-isolation due to contact with a case inside or outside the school and pupils in schools closed for COVID-19 related reasons. This data is as reported directly by schools via the Department for Education’s daily education settings survey. It is not the primary source of data on infection, incidence, and COVID-19 cases overall.Total pupils unable to attend school because of COVID-19 is reported as a range to account for possible double counting.The information regarding attendance statistics can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/9b3646d7-4b40-4cea-a826-a389dd0c7ded.

Schools: Coronavirus

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make it his policy to extend the availability of school attendance to the children of people who are not classed as key workers but are expected to by their employers to attend the workplace.

Nick Gibb: During this period of national lockdown, schools should allow only vulnerable children and the children of critical workers to attend. All other pupils should not attend and should learn remotely. We have resisted restrictions on attendance at schools since the first lockdown but, in the face of the rapidly rising numbers of cases across the country and intense pressure on the NHS, we now need to use every lever at our disposal to reduce all our social contacts wherever possible. Limiting attendance is about supporting the reduction of the overall number of social contacts in our communities.Parents whose work is critical to the COVID-19 and EU transition response include those who work in health and social care and in other key sectors. The guidance for children of critical workers and vulnerable children who can access schools or educational settings sets out who is able to attend school to receive face-to-face education, in order to support these parents to provide vital services: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision/guidance-for-schools-colleges-and-local-authorities-on-maintaining-educational-provision. The document sets out the high-level role types, and the list in the guidance is not exhaustive, but it should offer sufficient information to help parents and carers to identify if their work falls under one of the umbrella groups.We will continue to review the restrictions on schools and will ensure that children and young people return to face-to-face education as soon as possible.

Apprentices: Grants

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many grants have been awarded to firms to take on an apprenticeship since the most recent Spending Review; and in which sectors those grants have been allocated.

Gillian Keegan: Apprenticeships will be more important than ever in helping businesses to recruit the right people and develop the skills they need to recover and grow. To help employers offer new apprenticeships, they are now able to claim £2,000 for every new apprentice they hire under the age of 25, in recognition of the particular impacts of COVID-19 on the employment prospects of this group, and £1,500 for new apprentices aged 25 and over. These incentive payments were announced as part of the government’s Plan for Jobs in July 2020 and the extension of the scheme (to the end of March 2021) was announced in the November Spending Review. Employers have been able to register to claim the incentive since 1 September 2020.It is encouraging that employers continue to see the value apprentices can bring to their businesses; as of 1 December 2020 employers had so far claimed incentive payments for 11,520 apprentices. We do not hold figures for incentive payments by industry sector.Updated figures will be published in the ‘Apprenticeships and traineeships: January 2021’ statistics publication on 28 January 2021, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/announcements/apprenticeships-and-traineeships-january-2021.

Work Experience: Grants

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many grants have been awarded to firms to support trainees to gain work experience since the Spending Review 2020.

Gillian Keegan: We are supporting the largest-ever expansion of traineeships, providing an additional 30,000 places in 2020/21 academic year, to ensure that more young people have access to high-quality training. To encourage this, we have introduced £1000 incentive payments for employers who offer traineeship work placement opportunities between 1 September 2020 and 31 July 2021. The new incentive payment will enable employers to apply for £1000 per learner, for up to 10 learners per region, in each of the 9 regions of England.From 27 January, employers can register to claim this incentive payment and as such, we do not yet have data on the take-up of incentive payments. Employers will be able to claim the incentive payment for all completed traineeship work experience placements that take place between the 1 September 2020 and 31 July 2021 even if the traineeship started before the 1 September 2020. We will monitor the take-up of the new payments and will assess their impact on traineeships starts to ensure traineeships continue to provide the extra support required by young people for them to progress into work or onto an apprenticeship.

Nurses: Training

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether third year nursing students who voluntarily entered paid placements to assist with the covid-19 outbreak will be asked to pay extra tuition fees if their courses are extended as a result.

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether student nurses who are unable to complete the necessary clinical placement hours for qualification due to disruptions during the covid-19 outbreak will be asked to pay extra tuition fees if their courses are extended as a result.

Michelle Donelan: Health Education England is working locally with each higher education provider so that placements are available and is supporting healthcare students to ensure that as many as possible graduate on time. Institutions should not charge nursing students additional tuition fees in circumstances where they need more study time to complete their course as result of undertaking a paid placement in the NHS, or as result of needing to undertake clinical placements over an extended period.

Lipreading: Coronavirus

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he plans to introduce guidance to schools and colleges on the use of transparent face coverings when teaching pupils and students who rely on lip-reading.

Nick Gibb: In schools and colleges where year 7 and above are educated, face coverings should be worn by adults (staff and visitors) and pupils when moving around indoors, outside of classrooms, such as in corridors and communal areas where social distancing is difficult to maintain.Face coverings can make it more difficult to communicate with children with additional needs or children who may rely on lip reading or facial expressions for understanding. We expect staff to be sensitive to these needs when teaching and interacting with children.As the Department’s guidance outlines, some individuals are exempt from wearing face coverings. This includes people who cannot put on, wear, or remove a face covering because of a physical or mental illness or impairment, or disability, or if you are speaking to or aiding someone who relies on lip reading, clear sound or facial expressions to communicate. The same legal exemptions that apply to the wearing of face coverings in shops and on public transport also apply in schools and colleges.Based on current evidence and the measures that schools are already putting in place, such as the system of controls and consistent bubbles, face coverings will not generally be necessary in the classroom.Children in primary schools do not need to wear a face covering and older children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities may be exempt from wearing them, depending on their need.The Department’s guidance on face coverings can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/face-coverings-in-education/face-coverings-in-education.

Barnardo's: Coronavirus

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to extend Government funding for Barnardo’s See, Hear, Respond programme after March 2021.

Vicky Ford: See, Hear, Respond was set up as a short-term response to address the specific support needs of children and young people due to the sudden and unpredictable impact of the COVID-19 outbreak and national restrictions. The government recognises the vital role that it has played in supporting over 45,000 vulnerable children, young people and families.The current contract is due to end at the end of March 2021. The government continues to work closely with local authorities, the third sector and charity partners to understand the needs of local communities. It will keep under review any further measures that are necessary to support vulnerable children and young people.

Remote Education: North West

Mick Whitley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the number of young people in the North West of England who are unable to engage in remote learning as a result of a lack of (a) electronic devices and (b) reliable wi-fi access.

Nick Gibb: The Government is investing over £400 million to support access to remote education and online social care services securing 1.3 million laptops and tablets for disadvantaged children and young people. The Department delivered 870,000 of these to schools, academy trusts and local authorities by 25 January. Data on the number of devices delivered, including by local authority, is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/laptops-and-tablets-data/2021-week-4.The Government is providing this significant injection of devices on top of an estimated 2.9 million laptops and tablets already owned by schools before the start of the COVID-19 outbreak.Our overall commitment of 1.3 million devices is comparable with Ofcom’s UK-wide estimate that between 1.14 million and 1.78 million children in the UK have no home access to a laptop, desktop or tablet. The Department has allocated devices based on recent data on the number of pupils eligible for free school meals.All schools have been invited to order their full allocation of devices. Schools, academy trusts and local authorities are responsible for distributing the laptops and tablets and are best placed to know which pupils need access to a device.The Department has also partnered with the UK’s leading mobile operators to provide free data to help disadvantaged children get online, as well as delivering 4G wireless routers for pupils without connection at home.

Overseas Students: Coronavirus

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support he is providing to international students at UK universities during the global pandemic.

Michelle Donelan: The government has worked closely with the higher education sector to ensure existing rules and processes are as flexible as possible, so that international students wanting to study at UK universities remotely and/or in person, where appropriate under the current circumstances, can do so and are appropriately supported. This includes the ability to engage via distance/blended learning for the duration of the 2020/21 academic year, provided students intend to transition to face-to-face learning as soon as circumstances allow.The government has already worked closely with the Office for Students (OfS) to help clarify that providers can draw upon existing funding to increase hardship funds and support disadvantaged students impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak. Providers can use the funding, worth around £256 million for the 2020/21 academic year, towards student hardship funds, including the purchase of IT equipment, and mental health support, as well as to support providers’ access and participation plans. We are also currently making available up to £20 million of hardship funding to support those that need it most, particularly disadvantaged students.We have also worked with the OfS to provide Student Space, which has been funded up to £3 million by the OfS. Student Space is a mental health and wellbeing platform that aims to bridge any gaps in support for students - including international - arising from this unprecedented situation and is designed to work alongside existing services.The UK was one of the first countries to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak by introducing comprehensive immigration flexibility for international students and staff, and the government has implemented several concessions to assist visa holders in the UK who have been impacted by global travel and health restrictions. This has included offering extensions of visas for those whose leave expired and relaxing the rules on visa switching in the UK, as well as confirming that existing international students who have been studying by distance/blended learning will remain eligible to apply for the new Graduate route, provided they are in the UK by 6 April 2021 and meet the other requirements of the route. In December, the government also confirmed that students commencing a one-year Master’s programme in January 2021 will remain eligible for the Graduate route, even if they are studying remotely, provided they enter the UK before 27 September 2021 and complete the final semester of their studies in the UK.

English Language: Education

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support he is providing to institutions that teach English as a second language (ESOL) during the covid-19 outbreak.

Gillian Keegan: We understand the challenges faced by further education providers and will continue to work with the sector to establish the best way to support students to make up for the disruption due to COVID-19. It is our ambition that all students have the chance to make up for lost education.We support English for speakers of other languages courses as part of our wider effort to improve adult literacy in England through the £1.34 billion Adult Education Budget (AEB). We have changed the AEB Funding Rules for the 2020-21 academic year to enable providers to use their Learner Support funds to purchase IT devices for learners aged 19 and over, and to help them meet learners’ IT connectivity costs, where these costs are a barrier to accessing or continuing in their training. In areas where the AEB has been devolved, Mayoral Combined Authorities and the Greater London Authority are responsible for considering any provider flexibilities in their areas.

Students: Loans

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will cap the income repayment threshold for student loans in the aftermath of the covid-19 outbreak.

Michelle Donelan: There are no current plans to cap the income repayment threshold for student loans.The repayment of student loans is governed by the Education (Student Loans) (Repayment) Regulations 2009 (as amended).The current system protects borrowers if they see a reduction in their income. Repayments are made based on a borrower’s monthly or weekly income, not the interest rate or amount borrowed, and no repayments are made for earnings below the repayment thresholds. The repayment threshold is adjusted annually in line with average earnings.Repayments are calculated as a fixed percentage of earnings above the relevant repayment threshold - if income drops, so do repayments made. Any outstanding debt is written off at the end of the loan term with no detriment to the borrower.If, at the end of the year, the borrower’s total income is below the relevant annual threshold, they may reclaim any repayments from the Student Loans Company made during that year.

Turing Scheme

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Turing Scheme will enable young people to go on exchange visits to other countries.

Michelle Donelan: The Turing scheme will be backed by at least £100 million, providing funding for around 35,000 students in universities, colleges, and schools to go on placements and exchanges overseas, starting in September 2021 and replaces funding previously available through the education mobility element of Erasmus+. The scheme will be global and not be limited to the EU. Further details of the scheme will be published shortly.

Students: Fees and Charges

Fay Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions his Department has had with universities on the refunding of tuition fees for students who have experienced disruption as a result of covid-19 restrictions.

Michelle Donelan: This has been a very difficult time for students, and the government is working with the sector to make sure that all reasonable efforts are being made to enable students to continue their studies. The government’s clear and stated expectation is that universities should maintain the quality and quantity of tuition, and seek to ensure that all students regardless of their background have the resources to study remotely. This is more important than ever at the moment, with the vast majority of students studying solely online.We continue to regularly engage the sector in discussion on this issue, including universities, and have met with other groups across the sector only last week. I wrote to the Office for Students (OfS) on 13 January, outlining the government’s expectations of the higher education sector following the new national lockdown. Following this, the OfS wrote to provider Accountable Officers, setting out the actions that they are taking in connection with providers’ compliance to existing regulatory requirements. Both letters are available here: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/media/928ddbfc-7d48-4a7b-853e-411c34d6202f/ao-letter-regulation-during-the-current-phase-of-pandemic-14-jan-2021.pdf. We expect providers to ensure that continuing and prospective students receive the clear, accurate and timely information needed to make informed decisions.Universities are autonomous and responsible for setting their own fees, up to a maximum of £9,250 for approved (fee cap) institutions. The Office for Students (OfS), as regulator for higher education (HE) providers in England, has made it clear that HE providers must continue to comply with registration conditions relating to quality and academic standards, which set out requirements to ensure that courses are high-quality, that students are supported and achieve good outcomes and that standards are protected, regardless of whether a provider is delivering its courses through face-to-face teaching, remote online learning, or a combination of both.Whether or not an individual student is entitled to a refund of fees will depend on the specific contractual arrangements between the provider and student. If students have concerns, there is a process in place. They should first raise their concerns with their university. If their concerns remain unresolved, students at providers in England or Wales can ask the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA) for Higher Education to consider their complaint.The OIA website is available via the following link: https://www.oiahe.org.uk/.The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has published guidance on consumer contracts, cancellation and refunds affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. This sets out the CMA’s view on how the law operates to help consumers understand their rights and help businesses treat their customers fairly. This is available via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/cma-cases/consumer-protection-review-of-higher-education.The OfS has also published guidance on student consumer protection during the COVID-19 outbreak, which is available via the following link: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/student-wellbeing-and-protection/student-protection/consumer-benefit-forum/.

Students: Housing

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he plans to provide compensation to students who are unable to move into their student accommodation because of the covid-19 outbreak.

Fay Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions his Department has held with universities on refunding students who have not been allowed to return to halls of residence as a result of covid-19 restrictions.

Michelle Donelan: The government plays no role in the provision of student residential accommodation. Universities and private accommodation providers are autonomous and are responsible for setting their own rent agreements. Whether a student is entitled to a refund or to an early release from their contract will depend on the specific contractual arrangements between them and their provider.This has been a very difficult time for students, and we encourage universities and private landlords to review their accommodation policies to ensure they are fair, clear and have the interests of students at heart.Officials speak regularly with representatives of private and university owned accommodation, as well as sector bodies. The government worked closely with universities to ensure they were well prepared for the return of students in the autumn term, and we have published updated guidance to help them keep students and staff as safe as possible.If students have concerns about their accommodation fees, they should first raise their concerns with their accommodation provider. If their concerns remain unresolved, and their higher education (HE) provider is involved in the provision of the accommodation, students at providers in England or Wales can ask the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for HE to consider their complaint.If a student thinks their accommodation provider is treating them unfairly, they can raise a complaint under the accommodation codes of practice, as long as their provider is a code member. The codes can be found at: https://www.thesac.org.uk/, https://www.unipol.org.uk/the-code/how-to-complain and https://www.rla.org.uk/about/nrla-code-of-practice.shtml.We recognise that in these exceptional circumstances some students may face financial hardship. The Department for Education has worked with the Office for Students (OfS) to clarify that providers are able to use existing funds, worth around £256 million for academic year 2020/21, towards hardship support. The government is currently making available up to a further £20 million on a one-off basis to support those that need it most, particularly disadvantaged students. The funding is being distributed by the OfS to approved fee cap providers, who will have flexibility in how they distribute the funding to students in a way that will best prioritise those in greatest need. The funding can be distributed to a wide population of students, including postgraduates (whether taught or research) and international students.

Vocational Education: Assessments

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has for the assessment of technical and vocational qualifications in Summer 2021 that (a) include and (b) do not include practical assessment.

Gillian Keegan: We are proposing that written exams for vocational and technical qualifications (VTQs) that are being taken instead of, or alongside, GCSEs, AS and A levels do not go ahead. We are proposing they are awarded through alternative arrangements similar to GCSEs and A levels. We are seeking views through the joint consultation with Ofqual, that was launched on 15 January, on the detail of these arrangements and the qualifications in scope of this approach. Further information on the approach to awarding qualifications can be found here:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/953003/6743-2_2021_VTQ_alternative_arrangements_consultation_15JAN21.pdf.For VTQs that require a practical assessment to demonstrate occupational competency or to gain a licence to practise, for example some qualifications in areas such as automotive or electrical installation, we believe these assessments should continue to take place in schools or colleges or other further education settings when possible, subject to public health guidance. We do not consider there to be alternative arrangements that can assess the learner’s practical competence and it is important learners can progress to the next stage of their lives, which will often be to employment or apprenticeships. The consultation seeks views on this position.Unfortunately, there will be some practical assessments that have to be delayed where it is not possible to deliver the assessment safely, or where students have not received enough learning to reach occupational competence and so are not ready to take the practical assessment.

Adult Education: Remote Education

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the need to provide digital devices to adult learners during the covid-19 outbreak.

Gillian Keegan: During the COVID-19 outbreak, the department has worked with further education provider associations to understand the need for support on devices among adult students. For adults aged 19 and over, we have introduced flexibilities to the Education and Skills Funding Agency Adult Education Budget (AEB) funding rules for the 2020-21 academic year to enable providers to use learner support funds to purchase IT devices and/or internet access for disadvantaged students to help meet technology costs. In areas where the AEB budget is devolved, mayoral authorities determine adult student support arrangements.Earlier this year, we updated our further education operational guidance to emphasise the importance of preserving on-site provision for those students who need it, including vulnerable learners. We outlined our definition of vulnerable learners to be clear that those who may have difficulty engaging with remote education at home, for example due to a lack of devices or quiet space to study, can be considered vulnerable and therefore able to attend onsite provision during the period of national lockdown: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/951465/January_2021_FE_operational_guidance_FINAL.pdf.For adults aged 19 and over with an education, health and care plan who are in receipt of free meals, further education providers will shortly be able to receive devices through the Get Help with Technology service: https://get-help-with-tech.education.gov.uk/devices/how-to-order. The majority of further education providers with eligible learners will be able to order their devices by the end of January.

Postgraduate Education: Coronavirus

Fay Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending funding for all PhD students who have faced disruption as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.

Michelle Donelan: English students eligible for the doctoral degree loan can access one loan up to the maximum amount that was available when they started their course. There is no discretion within the regulations to increase the entitlement where a student extends their study but those who have not accessed the maximum can apply for an additional amount of loan. If a student has withdrawn from their PhD due to compelling personal reasons they may nonetheless be eligible for a further loan for a second full course. Withdrawal as a result of reasons connected to COVID-19 is usually considered to be one such compelling personal reason.UK Research and Innovation has made over £62 million of financial support available to PhD students in receipt of research council funding most impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak. It is estimated that this funding is available for up to 12,000 students.We are aware of the enormous pressures that the COVID-19 outbreak has had on doctoral students and their ability to conduct their research and recognise that some students may face financial hardship. The department has worked with the Office for Students (OfS) to clarify that English providers are able to use existing funds, worth around £256 million for academic year 2020/21, towards hardship support.In addition, we are currently making available up to a further £20 million on a one-off basis to support those that need it most, particularly disadvantaged students. The funding is being distributed by the OfS to approved fee cap providers, who will have flexibility in how they distribute the funding to students in a way that will best prioritise those in greatest need. The funding can be distributed to a wide population of students, including postgraduates research students.

Nurseries: Coronavirus

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to ensure that only the children of (a) key workers and (b) people who cannot work from home will be accepted at nurseries during the covid-19 outbreak.

Vicky Ford: The government continues to prioritise the wellbeing and long-term futures of our young children. Early years provision should remain open and continue to allow all children to attend full time or their usual timetable hours. This includes early years registered nurseries and childminders, maintained nursery schools, as well as nursery classes in schools and other pre-reception provision on school sites.Early years childcare providers were one of the first sectors to have restrictions lifted last summer, in recognition of the key role they play in society. Childminders and nursery staff across the country have worked hard to keep settings open through the COVID-19 outbreak so that young children can be educated, and families supported.The earliest years are the most crucial point of child development and attending early education lays the foundation for lifelong learning and supports children’s social and emotional development.We continue to prioritise keeping early years settings open in full because of the clear benefits to children’s education and wellbeing. Caring for the youngest age group is not something that can be done remotely.

Free School Meals: Voucher Schemes

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department plans to offer Free School Meal vouchers to people aged between 16-18 in full-time education during the period of covid-19 restrictions announced in January 2021.

Vicky Ford: Further education institutions should continue to provide support for students who are eligible for free meals, whether they are attending or studying remotely due to the COVID-19 outbreak.Institutions should continue to provide support in the most appropriate way based on their local circumstances.Eligible 16-18 year old pupils attending school settings are able to receive free school meal support. Schools are free to decide the best approach for their free school meal pupils. They can provide lunch parcels, locally arranged vouchers, or they can use the national voucher scheme which re-opened on Monday 18 January.Our full guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-free-school-meals-guidance/covid-19-free-school-meals-guidance-for-schools#free-meals-for-further-education-students.

Ministry of Justice

Terrorism: Reoffenders

Conor McGinn: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people released on licence with a terror-related conviction have been recalled to prison after breaching their licence conditions in each year since 2010; and what proportion of these were recalled specifically for engaging in subsequent terror-related activity for each year.

Chris Philp: The numbers of offenders with a terror-related conviction who have been released on licence and subsequently recalled to prison is set out in the table below. The table also sets out how many of those individuals were recalled in connection with engaging in a terror-related activity.  YearNumber of offenders on licence for a terror-related conviction recalled to prisonNumber of offenders recalled specifically for engaging in subsequent terror-related activity20105020115120123020136120147020153020168120174020184220191022020 (to end of June)100 These figures have been drawn from the Public Protection Unit Database held by Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service. As with any large scale recording systems, the figures are subject to possible errors with data migration and processing.

Terrorism: Reoffenders

Conor McGinn: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of people imprisoned for terror-related offences in each year since 2010 held a previous terror-related conviction and have been re-admitted to prison for subsequent terror-related convictions.

Chris Philp: Between January 2013 and December 2020, 7 individuals convicted of a terrorist offence (who have been convicted under the Terrorism Act 2000 and 2006) have been released from prison and then convicted of a further terrorist offence (under the Terrorism Act 2000 and 2006) in England and Wales. Unfortunately, we will be unable to break down this figure further as it may reveal sensitive personal data.Prior to 2013, release data on Terrorism Act offenders was held at a local and regional level by relevant law enforcement partners, but not recorded centrally by the Ministry of Justice, meaning we are unable to provide data before 2013. Recidivism rates for Scotland and Northern Ireland are not held by the Ministry of Justice as prisons are a devolved matter.From the year ending June 2014 to year ending June 2020 the number of terrorist prisoners released from prison custody was 387 in Great Britain. This number includes historical terrorism cases which pre-date the introduction of the Terrorist Acts (2000 & 2006) and where an individual was imprisoned pre-2001 following a terrorist investigation, acts of terrorism, or for membership of a proscribed organisation.We use a range of rehabilitation approaches to manage terrorists before and after they are released from custody and use a robust multi-agency approach to monitor extremists released into the community. Our new legislation means terrorists now face tougher sentences, will stay in prison for longer and be subject to appropriately strict licence conditions on release.

Department for International Trade

Genetic Engineering: Exports

Andrew Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment her Department has made of the value to the UK of genomics sector exports.

Graham Stuart: There is no routinely collected data to estimate the value of UK genomics sector exports. However, data published by the Office for Life Sciences in August 2020 indicate that the sector has an annual turnover of £2.3 billion. Genomics remains a priority sector for the department and we are working closely with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on the new national genomic healthcare strategy “Genome UK: the future of healthcare”. We are proactively supporting UK companies and organisations to secure exports in this field and are engaged with key players across the industry, including major trade associations and senior industry figures.

Trade Agreements: Indo-Pacific Region

Anthony Mangnall: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps she is taking to strengthen investment ties between the UK and the Indo-Pacific region.

Graham Stuart: Strengthening investment ties forms a strategic pillar of the Government’s strategy towards the Indo-Pacific region and will build upon the existing c. £180bn of UK investment in the region, and c. £151bn of Indo-Pacific investment in the UK, both of which deliver jobs and opportunity across the United Kingdom.Alongside the existing network of dedicated investment support officers, the new Office for Investment provides an improved level of service for the most impactful and complex inward investments from the region. In addition, the UK’s ambitious Free Trade and Market Access activities in the region will foster a more favourable bilateral investment environment.

British Airways and Easyjet: Loan Guarantee Scheme

Clive Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 19 January 2021 to Question 137976, whether UK Export Finance carried an assessment of the environmental impact of EasyJet and British Airways activity when deciding whether to provide those companies with support.

Graham Stuart: UK Export Finance conducted and documented a review of climate change considerations for each case, proportionate to the climate risks and impacts of each transaction.

Computer Software: Exports

Andrew Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment her Department has made of the value to the UK of quantum computing sector exports.

Graham Stuart: The Department for International Trade does not hold figures which quantify the export value of the Quantum computing sector. The importance and potential of Quantum technologies are recognised by the Government, which, in partnership with the private sector, is supporting £1bn worth of investment through the 10-year National Quantum Technologies Programme (NQTP). This investment is helping to drive commercialisation and position the UK at the forefront of Quantum computing. The Government continues to invest in the UK technology sector, where in 2019 the value of digital goods exports was £17.4bn, while digital services exports in 2018 were £51.4bn (latest full year figures).

Transport: Exports

Andrew Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment her Department has made of the value to the UK of zero-emission transport sector exports.

Graham Stuart: Clean transport is a key sector, as recognised by the Prime Minister’s Ten Point Plan for a green industrial revolution. The Department for International Trade is working across Whitehall and with industry to secure investment into the sector, grow UK capability, and export. Clean transport covers multiple technologies that are at various stages of development and as such, a total assessment of the value of the clean transport sector has not been made.

Space Technology: Exports

Andrew Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment her Department has made of the value to the UK of space sector exports.

Graham Stuart: The UK Space Agency’s most recent estimates are that between 2016 and 2017, the UK Space sector’s exports amounted to £5.5 billion. In 2016/17, the industry directly contributed £5.7 billion of GVA (in current prices) to UK economic output – equivalent to 38% of space industry income and 0.29% of total UK GDP. Looking ahead, the Department for International Trade is leading the development of a support plan in coordination with other government departments to enable more small and medium-sized space enterprises to export, and the sector to build back better from the impacts of Covid-19.

Wines: Exports

Andrew Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps her Department has taken to promote English wine exports.

Graham Stuart: I refer my Hon. Friend for Arundel and South Downs to the answer I gave him on 19 October 2020, UIN: 101331. My Department continues to work hard to negotiate free trade and continuity deals across the world, which will benefit sectors such as English and Welsh wine and are widely supported by industry including the Wine & Spirit Trade Association and WineGB. Going forward, we plan to support wineries at major international events in the US, Germany and Japan and will connect wineries with international influencers and buyers.

Artificial Intelligence: Exports

Andrew Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment her Department has made of the value to the UK of artificial intelligence sector exports.

Graham Stuart: The Department for International Trade does not hold figures which quantify the export value of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) sector. The UK is the largest recipient of AI investment in Europe and third in the world and the UK Government is actively supporting the development of its AI industry to ensure that this position is maintained and enhanced. The Government continues to support the UK technology sector where, in 2019, the value of digital goods exports was £17.4bn while digital services exports in 2018 were £51.4bn (latest available full year figures).

Church Commissioners

Church Commissioners: Land

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what assessment he has made of the area of Church Commissioner-owned land tenancies, under the Agricultural Holdings Act 1986, that will come up for renewal in the next (a) five years and (b) 10 years.

Andrew Selous: Over 60% of the tenancies within the Church Commissioners’ rural portfolio are Agricultural Holdings Act 1986 (AHA) tenancies. AHA tenancies granted prior to 11 July 1984 provide for rights of succession. Forecasting the rate and date of tenancy succession with any accuracy is challenging. This is because AHA tenancies can only be succeeded upon the death or retirement of an incumbent tenant and these dates are typically not known.Specific criteria need to be met by a prospective successor to allow succession to take place. The criteria are reviewed on a case-by-case basis in the context of the tenant and their proposed successor’s situation at the time a succession is proposed. Currently, 17% of the Church Commissioners’ AHA tenants have no rights to succession, 62% have rights to one succession and 21% two remaining successions. As such, we anticipate potentially eligible successors to 83% of the Commissioners’ existing AHA tenancies may apply to succeed the tenancy.

Ministry of Defence

Military Aircraft: Training

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the size of the fleet of (a) Texan T1 and (b) Tucano was in each RAF training ground in each year since 2017.

Jeremy Quin: The Tucano fleet was headquartered at RAF Linton-on-Ouse and was withdrawn from Service in October 2019. The Texan fleet is headquartered at RAF Valley. The attached table is extracted from the National Statistic - UK Armed Forces Equipment and Formations 2020.141399 - UK Armed Forces Eqpt and Formations 2020 (xlsx, 10.3KB)

AWACS: Procurement

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department plans to renegotiate the E-7 Wedgetail contract with the prime contractor.

Jeremy Quin: In March 2019, HM Treasury and the Ministry of Defence approved the procurement of five E-7 Wedgetail aircraft, with the first expected to enter service with the Royal Air Force in 2023. The associated contracts are continually reviewed to ensure that they remain relevant to the required output.

Defence: Expenditure

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to Question 135844 on Defence: Expenditure, with reference to his Department's recent statement that it has yet to decide on allocating the £16.5 billion increase to the defence budget, what methodology his Department used to estimate the number of jobs that funding would create.

Jeremy Quin: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) publishes statistics which set out the number of jobs in the UK currently estimated to be supported by existing Defence spend. The jobs estimate is based on the MOD job calculator that estimates the number of jobs supported per pound of MOD spend. The jobs estimate is based on a sector by sector analysis. Individual allocations could change as a result of the final decisions made as a result of the Integrated Review. The MOD is comfortable that the estimate remains within an appropriate range in the context of scenarios likely to be determined following the announcement of the Integrated Review.

Military Aircraft: Training

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions he has had with Ascent Consortium on noise pollution and safety procedures; and if he will make a statement.

Jeremy Quin: The collaborative approach to training delivery and safety management systems at RAF Valley ensure expert staff from Ascent are fully integrated into all appropriate operating, safety and environmental working groups at the Station.

Veterans: Advisory Services

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost to the public purse was of setting up the Veterans' Gateway.

Johnny Mercer: In November 2016 the Armed Forces Covenant Fund provided a grant of £2 million to a consortium of charities comprised of Combat Stress, PoppyScotland, SSAFA and Connect Assist, led by The Royal British Legion, to set up the Veterans' Gateway to act as a one-stop service to better support the UK's Armed Forces Veterans community.

Defence: Procurement

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department plans to respond to the National Audit Office's report on the Defence Equipment Plan 2020-2030.

Jeremy Quin: We are grateful to the NAO for their report. This year has seen progress on many of their recommendations and we continue to work with them to improve our processes. The MOD Permanent Secretary wrote to the Public Accounts Committee Chair on 12 January 2021 presenting the Department's assessment of the affordability of the Equipment Plan, and this letter is available in the Library of the House. Senior MOD officials will respond to the NAO's findings on the Equipment Plan 2020-30 at the Public Accounts Committee hearing on 4 February 2021.  Equipment Plan (docx, 16.1KB)Equipment Plan (pdf, 147.1KB)supplementary data tables (xlsx, 111.6KB)

Military Aid: Coronavirus

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the number of military personnel deployed away from their usual posting to assist with the covid-19 vaccination programme who do not have adequate childcare in place.

James Heappey: There are currently 600 military personnel deployed to assist with the COVID-19 vaccination programme. However, we do not hold data on the different childcare arrangements put in place by our Service families. This information is assessed at a local level on the basis of a community needs analysis, where local solutions can be provided for local areas of need.

Armed Forces: Females

Chris Law: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of recruits to the armed forces in 2020 were female.

Chris Law: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of recruits to the armed forces in 2019 were female.

James Heappey: The requested information can be found in the ‘Female Intake’ and ‘Gender’ sections of the published 2020 and 2019 Biannual Diversity Statistics: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/943009/Biannual_Diversity_Statistics_Publication_Oct20.pdf https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/851974/UK_Armed_Forces_Biannual_Diversity_Statistics_-_1_October_2019.pdfDefence remains dedicated to achieving a more diverse workforce and is undertaking a wide range of activities to increase the number of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) and female recruits into the Armed Forces. In 2015 we set ourselves ambitious targets to increase the diversity of personnel joining the Armed Forces by 2020; for female personnel, this was set at 15 per cent. Although progress has been made and the proportion of women joining increased during this period, we fell just under three per cent short of our target and thus recognise that there is still more to do.

AWACS: Procurement

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the country of origin is for the secondhand E-7 Wedgetail airframe which has not been sourced from China.

Jeremy Quin: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 13 January 2021 to question 134370.Hansard Extract (docx, 14.5KB)

AWACS: Procurement

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what security limitations were placed on the prime contractor with regard to the sourcing of the airframe for the E-7 Wedgetail contract.

Jeremy Quin: The E-7 Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft is a military derivative of the Boeing 737 Next Generation civil airliner and is produced by modifying the airframe and embodying a sophisticated radar and mission system. Boeing is required to provide airframes that meet our overall requirements in terms of performance, quality and security. As part of this process, Boeing undertakes comprehensive overhaul and stringent security checks prior to the airframes entering the modification process. This in itself is an extensive programme of work that involves significant adaptation of the original airframe.

Department for Work and Pensions

Kickstart Scheme

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of applications to the Kickstart programme from (a) employers and (b) Kickstart gateway organisations have been approved in each month since applications opened.

Mims Davies: The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Department for Work and Pensions: Telephone Services

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the letter of 15 January 2021 from the Permanent Secretary to the Work and Pensions Committee, in each month from August 2020 to December 2020 how many call attempts to her Department’s debt management service (a) were made, (b) were blocked and (c) were not blocked but were not answered.

Will Quince: The table below illustrates the extent of the telephony traffic in Debt Management since August 2020.  Call attemptsCalls answeredCalls blockedCalls not answeredAugust153,800102,40022,20029,300September282,100127,900101,60052,600October221,800147,50041,80032,500November605,300149,600413,70042,000December278,900122,600129,40026,900January (to 11/01/21)46,50042,7001003,700*Figures are rounded to the nearest 100 In November 2020, there was a temporary spike in the number of calls received due to the recommencement of debt recovery, following a pause due to the outbreak of Covid-19. It should be noted that the number of blocked calls does not represent individual customers and that the volume will be substantially distorted by repeat attempts. We have since updated our telephone messaging and guidance for call handlers as well as redeploying trained staff from clearing work to answering calls. In addition, DWP expects to deploy approximately 450 new staff to the network in the next three months.

Kickstart Scheme

Andrew Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to enable more small business to take advantage of the Kickstart scheme.

Mims Davies: From 3 February we will remove the 30 job minimum requirement for applications to the Kickstart Scheme. This will make the scheme accessible to even more employers, giving them choice about whether to apply directly or via one of over 600 approved Kickstart Gateways. We continue to engage with employers to maintain the high interest in the scheme with over 120,000 jobs approved to date. For many employers Kickstart gateways will still play an important role. They can offer help with the necessary wrap around support for the young person, training and applications or can provide a route into the scheme for organisations without a PAYE system. Sole traders and those without a PAYE system can continue to apply through the Gateway set up in partnership between FSB and AWV.

Kickstart Scheme

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Kickstart placements have been (a) approved by her Department and (b) started by young people in each month since the programme started.

Mims Davies: As of 12/01/2021 there have been 9,371 Kickstart job placements made available for Job Centre Plus Work Coaches to refer eligible young people to. The table below shows the total number job placements approved by the scheme as well as the total number of young people starting a job through Kickstart each month since the scheme started. January’s figures should be available at the beginning of next month. These numbers have been affected by the Christmas period and new public health restrictions but continue to grow each month as more applications are received.   New Approved Job Placements per MonthNew Starts per MonthSeptember 20205,9460October 20209,2245November 202010,046282December 202031,9061,394 Once approved and the grant agreement with the employer or Gateway is signed, a Kickstart job placement becomes available once the employer has provided the job details and confirmed when they want to fill it. It is then advertised via Job Centre Plus for referrals of eligible young people to apply for, ensuring they get a full rounded experience of both applying for and undertaking employment. We are delighted that young people are able to continue to apply for, start and benefit from Kickstart job placements while public health restrictions remain in place.

Work Capability Assessment: Surveys

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will change the timing of Maximus' customer satisfaction survey for claimants undergoing assessments for work capability assessments.

Justin Tomlinson: Assessment providers are monitored and managed against a range of measures, including customer satisfaction. It is essential we receive ongoing feedback from customers and we invite a random sample of customers to provide feedback on the service they receive each month. There are currently no plans to change the timing of the customer satisfaction survey.

Children: Maintenance

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the total amount of debt being permanently written off is following the Government's recent review of Child Support Agency historic cases.

Guy Opperman: The Child Support Agency (CSA) has ceased collection of historical debt on 577,900 cases. This comprised of 410,400 cases which were held on CSA systems and 167,500 cases which were held on Child Maintenance Service (CMS) systems.These cases had system records showing a total debt value of £1,926.6 million. £1,483.2 million from cases held on CSA systems and £443.4 million from cases held on CMS systems.This information is available in the public domain athttps://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/child-support-agency-quarterly-summary-of-statistics-september-2020-experimental

Directors: Universal Credit

Fay Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment she has made of the potential merits of ensuring that directors of limited companies are eligible for universal credit.

Will Quince: Universal Credit (UC) will be paid to eligible adults and the entitlement calculation will be based on their family circumstances.For the purposes of UC, a person trading through a company as a company director in a position analogous to a sole trader or partner, is treated in the same way as a person who has not set up a company to conduct their business.

Supported Housing: Third Sector

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will clarify whether registered charities or voluntary organisations providing exempt accommodation under The Housing Benefit and Universal Credit (Supported Accommodation) (Amendment) Regulations 2014 can be connected to profit making organisations.

Will Quince: In order to meet the definition of exempt accommodation in Housing Benefit legislation, the provider of the claimant’s accommodation must be a non-metropolitan county council in England, a housing association, registered charity or voluntary organisation. Exempt accommodation providers can work with third parties such as leasing properties from them. Local authorities will consider this when assessing the Housing Benefit claim and deciding whether the conditions set out in the legislation have been met. Additionally, registered charities are regulated by the Charity Commission (in England and Wales) whilst voluntary organisations such as community interest companies have their own regulators that oversee their activities.

Kickstart Scheme

Fay Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason businesses that are not registered with Companies House are unable to access the Kickstart scheme.

Mims Davies: Companies not registered with Companies House are still able to access the Department for Work and Pensions’ Kickstart Scheme by applying through a Gateway which can place the Kickstart participant on the Gateway’s PAYE scheme - such as the one set up in partnership between the Federation of Small Business and Adecco Working Ventures.

Employment Services: Young People

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the answer of 4 November to Question 109371 on Employment Services: Young People, by what date she plans to have established 116 youth hubs.

Mims Davies: Further to my answer on 20 January 2021 the timeline for opening Youth Hubs is dependent on COVID restrictions. We are working with local partners to ensure the transition to physical hubs can be undertaken as quickly as possible, when circumstances allow.

Kickstart Scheme

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many new job placements are being funded by the Kickstart programme.

Mims Davies: As of 22/01/2021, there have been 123,898 new job placements approved for funding by the Department for Work and Pensions’ Kickstart scheme. We are actively seeking more Kickstart job placements that can start before December 2021 and would welcome further applications from employers.

Kickstart Scheme

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Kickstart gateways have been set up by (a) region and (b) local authority area.

Mims Davies: The table below shows the number of gateway organisations approved as part of the Department for Work and Pensions’ Kickstart scheme, broken down by region as of 11/01/2021. We are currently unable to break this data down by Local Authority, this data reflects the location of an organisation’s registered address and not necessarily the location where the gateway will be supporting Kickstart job placements. RegionNumber of unique Gateways ApprovedLondon143North West95South East78West Midlands54Scotland51East of England45East Midlands43Yorkshire and The Humber42Wales31South West26North East26

Kickstart Scheme: Staff

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Work Coaches have been employed under the Kickstart scheme since that scheme was introduced.

Mims Davies: The Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) Kickstart Scheme is available across Great Britain. All Job Centre Plus Work Coaches are able to refer young people to the scheme. A number of other local staff have also been involved throughout the development and implementation of the scheme to bring local knowledge and expertise to the programme. As part of the Government’s Plan for Jobs, the DWP is recruiting an extra 13,500 new Work Coaches, and this process is underway. This recruitment is separate to the Kickstart Scheme.

Children: Maintenance

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what total amount of debt is being permanently written off in response to the Government's recent review of Child Support Agency historical cases.

Guy Opperman: Information on historical debt which has been written off by the Child Support Agency is published on gov.uk and includes available data to the end of September 2020: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/child-support-agency-quarterly-summary-of-statistics-june-2020-experimental/child-support-agency-quarterly-summary-of-statistics-june-2020-experimentalParagraph 6 refers entitled. ‘CSA debt written off’

Personal Independence Payment

Apsana Begum: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate her Department has made of the number of claimants who have not been notified of the extension of their award of personal independence payments by the time their award ends.

Justin Tomlinson: No such estimate has been made. The Department has automatically extended awards of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) where needed, and have issued notifications to all customers whose awards have been extended as part of this exercise.

Work Capability Assessment: Coronavirus

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance has been given to health assessors carrying out health and disability assessments for new claims for (a) personal independence payment, (b) employment support allowance and (c) disablement pension submitted during covid-19 national lockdown.

Justin Tomlinson: Personal Independence Payment (PIP) Health Professionals continue to deliver PIP assessments in accordance with the PIP Assessment Guide published on GOV.UK. The link to which I have included below: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/personal-independence-payment-assessment-guide-for-assessment-providers Employment Support Allowance (ESA) Healthcare Professionals, continue to deliver ESA Work Capability Assessments (WCA) in accordance with the WCA Handbook published on GOV.UK. The link to which I have included below: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/work-capability-assessment-handbook-for-healthcare-professionals Our Assessment Providers, Independent Assessment Services (IAS), Capita and Centre for Health and Disability Assessments (CHDA) have supported their Health Professionals to carry out health and disability assessments throughout all COVID-19 lockdowns. Following the suspension of face to face assessments to ensure the safety of claimants, companions and staff, Health Professionals have been given additional training and guidance on conducting telephone assessments, which were introduced in PIP and ESA in response to COVID-19. I have interpreted Disablement Pension to mean Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB). The suspension of face to face assessments for IIDB means the majority of new claims are not being assessed at present. We continue to test new ways to carry out IIDB assessments and have now begun conducting paper based assessments for certain prescribed diseases.

Social Security Benefits: Disability

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made on the adequacy of benefit rates for disabled people on legacy benefits.

Justin Tomlinson: We will spend over £55 billion this year (2020/21) on benefits to support people with health conditions and disabilities. This will increase by £1.6 billion to £57 billion in 2021/22.

Work Capability Assessment: Coronavirus

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support her Department is providing for claimants of (a) personal independence payment, (b) employment support allowance and (c) disablement pension where the health assessors find that a face-to-face interview is required but cannot be completed under covid-19 restrictions.

Justin Tomlinson: The safety of our claimants and staff is our key priority. As a result, all face to face assessments for sickness and disability benefits have remained suspended since March 2020. Throughout the pandemic, for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)/Universal Credit (UC) we have continued to assess people on paper evidence where we can as normal. We have also introduced telephone assessments and are working to increase the number of these assessments in order that we can make the right decision for as many people as possible, while keeping people safe. Where it is not possible to carry out a PIP telephone assessment we are making a decision based on all the evidence available to ensure any payment is not delayed. For ESA/UC, claimants will remain on their current award until we are able to gather the evidence needed for a recommendation to be made (or until contributory ESA ends)); any additional amounts the claimant may qualify for after their assessment will be backdated to ensure no long-term loss. Where an individual’s contributory ESA ends they may be able to claim Universal Credit, depending on their personal circumstances if they require further financial support. The question refers to ‘disablement pension’; we have understood that to refer to the Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB). Following a successful trial, we have now begun paper based assessments in IIDB for certain prescribed diseases. To protect our most vulnerable claimants with the most serious health conditions we are continuing to process IIDB claims for people with terminal illnesses, and those for Fast Track prescribed diseases as they can be assessed without the need for a face to face assessment. Once face-to-face assessments resume, awards will be backdated to the date of application to ensure claimants do not lose out on funds they are entitled to.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Members: Correspondence

Matthew Pennycook: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when he plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Greenwich and Woolwich of 19 November 2020 on the presidential election in Uganda.

James Duddridge: A response was sent on 22 December 2020, and an additional copy has been sent to the Member's office.

UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western (MINURSO) has taken towards fulfilling its mandate to organise a referendum on self-determination in the non-self-governing territory of Western Sahara.

James Cleverly: The UN Secretary General provides regular reports to the UN Security Council on the situation concerning Western Sahara, including the activities of MINURSO. The latest report, dated 23 September 2020, is available on the UN Security Council website.

Western Sahara: Armed Forces

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many Moroccan soldiers are stationed in the non-self-governing territory of Western Sahara; and what the locations are of those soldiers.

James Cleverly: Morocco maintains a significant security presence in Western Sahara, primarily in fortified positions along a berm running the entire length of the territory.

Western Sahara: Trade Agreements

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of whether the trade of natural resources originating in Western Sahara by the Kingdom of Morocco without the consent of the Saharawi people is consistent with international law.

James Cleverly: The UK notes the UN legal view from 2002, which stated that commercial activity in Western Sahara (including the exploration for, and exploitation of natural resources) is not inherently illegal but must not disregard the interests and wishes of the people of Western Sahara. We also note the European Court of Justice ruling of December 2016 on the applicability of the EU-Morocco Association Agreement to Western Sahara. The Association Agreement was subsequently amended to comply with the ruling following EU consultations with a wide spectrum of Western Saharan representatives, stake-holders, civil society, and other organisations. The UK-Morocco Association Agreement replicates the effects of the existing EU-Morocco Association Agreement, including on the current territorial application and products originating in Western Sahara subject to controls by customs authorities of Morocco.

Yemen: Humanitarian Aid

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the US Secretary of State on the US designation of the Houthis as a terrorist group.

James Cleverly: The UN and NGOs have made assessments that the US Administration's decision to designate the Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation is likely to disrupt the humanitarian response and stop vital food supplies getting in to Yemen. To mitigate this risk, we have already engaged with the US to urge them to ensure that the vital humanitarian response, including food supplies, is not disrupted and will raise this urgently with the new administration.

Developing Countries: Nutrition

Christian Matheson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 17 December 2020 to Question 128190, whether his Department plans to launch a public consultation as part of the internal prioritisation process.

Nigel Adams: We are working closely with our partners on the impacts and priorities of our Official Development Assistance (ODA) spend, including through roundtables with Civil Society Organisations such as one recently chaired by Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon. Country Plans will also be informed by consultation with partner governments and other partners on key priorities.As with any major fiscal event, it is right the outcome of the process is formally communicated to Parliament first. We will work closely with our partners and suppliers to explain how this will impact our joint work.

Israel: Palestinians

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken in response to reports of violence by the Israeli Defence Force against Palestinian children.

James Cleverly: We repeatedly call on Israel to abide by its obligations under international law and have a regular dialogue with Israel on legal issues relating to the occupation, including the treatment of Palestinian children. We continue to stress the importance of the Israeli security forces providing appropriate protection to the Palestinian civilian population, in particular the need to protect children, and urge restraint in the use of live fire. In instances where there have been accusations of excessive use of force, we have advocated swift, transparent investigations.

Yemen: Humanitarian Aid

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his (a) Saudi Arabian counterpart and (b) Emirati counterpart on the donations from those governments to the Yemen humanitarian response plan.

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when he plans to announce the 2021 funding plan for Yemen.

James Cleverly: We have shown extensive leadership by hosting an event at the UN in December, which sounded the alarm on the increased risk of famine and called on donors to disburse funding. Ministers engage with their regional counterparts regularly on Yemen including urging them to disburse humanitarian funding.We maintained our commitment to Yemen at over £200 million this financial year (2020/21) despite financial pressures.

Global Challenges Research Fund

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department plans to maintain the current level of funding for the Global Challenges Research Fund.

James Duddridge: The COVID-19 pandemic's economic impact has forced the government to take the difficult decision to temporarily reduce ODA to 0.5% of GNI and to take tough, but necessary decisions to maximise impact for our aid spend.The Foreign Secretary has now completed the overall departmental cross-government allocations of ODA spend for 2021 and laid a Written Ministerial Statement in Parliament [today], summarising the outcomes. The resulting package will drive greater coherence, notwithstanding the difficult financial position we face. We will spend 0.5% (currently forecast as £10 billion) on our priorities of climate and biodiversity; COVID-19 and global health security; girls' education; science and research; open societies and conflict; humanitarian assistance; and trade.Individual departments will now work through the implications of their spending allocation for the programmes and activities they manage.

Israel: Palestinians

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the implications for its policies of reports by Save the Children that Palestinian children are being detained in Israeli prisons; and what steps his Department is taking in response to those reports.

James Cleverly: We are concerned by the findings of the Save the Children's report entitled, 'Defenceless: The impact of the Israeli military detention system on Palestinian children'. UK officials are in contact with Save the Children over the report's findings. We remain concerned about the treatment of Palestinian children detained in Israeli prisons. Reports of the heavy use of painful restraints and the high number of Palestinian children who are not informed of their legal rights, in contravention of Israel's own regulations, are particularly concerning, as is the continued transfer of Palestinian child and adult detainees to prisons inside Israel in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention. We remain committed to working with Israel to secure improvements to the practices surrounding children in detention. Our Embassy in Tel Aviv have a regular dialogue with Israel on this issue. We also fund projects providing legal aid to minors and capacity building to local lawyers. We continue to call on the Israeli authorities to comply with their obligations under international law.

Developing Countries: Solid Fuels

Harriett Baldwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect on deforestation of the use of charcoal as a cooking fuel in least developed countries.

James Duddridge: Urbanisation in developing countries is resulting in a rapid increase in the use of charcoal for cooking, with consequent impacts on forest degradation and human health. Around 2.8 billion people rely on wood, charcoal, animal waste or other solid fuels for cooking and heating. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that household air pollution from cooking with traditional solid fuels, such as charcoal, contributes to 3-4 million premature deaths every year, which is more than malaria and tuberculosis combined.Indoor air pollution is a source of health inequality, with women and children in least developed countries most vulnerable to experiencing the worst health outcomes. The WHO, which FCDO funds, works to increase recognition of air pollution as an important global public health issue, supporting developing countries to reduce air pollution and its impacts on the health and life chances of their citizens.Renewable electric cooking represents a competitive alternative to charcoal without consequences for air pollution and forest resources. Our International Climate Finance includes up to £1 billion for the Ayrton Fund, which includes support for research, development and demonstration of new clean energy technologies with the potential to improve air quality, health outcomes, and reduce carbon emissions in developing countries. The £38m FCDO-funded Modern Energy Cooking Services research programme is working towards universal access to clean and affordable cooking technologies. Such technologies have the potential to displace harmful cooking practices, helping to eliminate indoor air pollution and the preventable deaths it causes.

Developing Countries: Solid Fuels

Harriett Baldwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help reduce the use of charcoal as a cooking fuel in the least developed countries.

James Duddridge: Urbanisation in developing countries is resulting in a rapid increase in the use of charcoal for cooking, with consequent impacts on forest degradation and human health. Around 2.8 billion people rely on wood, charcoal, animal waste or other solid fuels for cooking and heating. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that household air pollution from cooking with traditional solid fuels, such as charcoal, contributes to 3-4 million premature deaths every year, which is more than malaria and tuberculosis combined.Indoor air pollution is a source of health inequality, with women and children in least developed countries most vulnerable to experiencing the worst health outcomes. The WHO, which FCDO funds, works to increase recognition of air pollution as an important global public health issue, supporting developing countries to reduce air pollution and its impacts on the health and life chances of their citizens.Renewable electric cooking represents a competitive alternative to charcoal without consequences for air pollution and forest resources. Our International Climate Finance includes up to £1 billion for the Ayrton Fund, which includes support for research, development and demonstration of new clean energy technologies with the potential to improve air quality, health outcomes, and reduce carbon emissions in developing countries. The £38m FCDO-funded Modern Energy Cooking Services research programme is working towards universal access to clean and affordable cooking technologies. Such technologies have the potential to displace harmful cooking practices, helping to eliminate indoor air pollution and the preventable deaths it causes.

Uganda: Politics and Government

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when he last had discussions with his Ugandan counterpart.

James Duddridge: Following the arrest of Robert Kyagulanyi on 18 November 2020 which sparked violent protests in Uganda, I [Minister Duddridge] spoke to the Ugandan Foreign Minister, Sam Kutesa, on 26 November 2020 and raised the UK's concerns about the violence that took place. I sought reassurances that Ugandan security forces would show restraint and I raised the importance of the rights of Ugandans to freely express their views. Ahead of the elections, I [Minister Duddridge] spoke to Foreign Minister Sam Kutesa again on 12 January and expressed the importance of British officials being accredited to observe the elections. Following the elections on 14 January, the UK remains concerned about the restriction of political freedoms, particularly towards opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi. UK officials lobbied on this issue with Ugandan authorities and I [Minister Duddridge] welcome the High Court of Uganda's decision of 25 January that the detention of Robert Kyagulanyi was unconstitutional and unlawful and that these restrictions are now lifted. This is a positive step towards removing the restrictions on political freedoms of Kyagulanyi and the UK will continue to raise these issues with the Government of Uganda.

Developing Countries: Solid Fuels

Harriett Baldwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect on human health of the use of charcoal as a cooking fuel in least developed countries.

James Duddridge: Urbanisation in developing countries is resulting in a rapid increase in the use of charcoal for cooking, with consequent impacts on forest degradation and human health. Around 2.8 billion people rely on wood, charcoal, animal waste or other solid fuels for cooking and heating. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that household air pollution from cooking with traditional solid fuels, such as charcoal, contributes to 3-4 million premature deaths every year, which is more than malaria and tuberculosis combined.Indoor air pollution is a source of health inequality, with women and children in least developed countries most vulnerable to experiencing the worst health outcomes. The WHO, which FCDO funds, works to increase recognition of air pollution as an important global public health issue, supporting developing countries to reduce air pollution and its impacts on the health and life chances of their citizens.Renewable electric cooking represents a competitive alternative to charcoal without consequences for air pollution and forest resources. Our International Climate Finance includes up to £1 billion for the Ayrton Fund, which includes support for research, development and demonstration of new clean energy technologies with the potential to improve air quality, health outcomes, and reduce carbon emissions in developing countries. The £38m FCDO-funded Modern Energy Cooking Services research programme is working towards universal access to clean and affordable cooking technologies. Such technologies have the potential to displace harmful cooking practices, helping to eliminate indoor air pollution and the preventable deaths it causes.

Uganda: Diplomatic Service

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether HM Ambassador in Kampala has (a) visited Robert Kyagulanyi and his family and (b) made representations regarding his house detention directly to the Government of Uganda.

James Duddridge: I [Minister Duddridge] welcome the High Court of Uganda's decision of 25 January that the detention of Robert Kyagulanyi was unconstitutional and unlawful and their order for security personnel to vacate his premises. This is a positive step towards removing the restrictions on political freedoms of Kyagulanyi. When Kyagulanyi was under de facto house arrest, external visitors were not permitted to visit him or his family. However, I [Minister Duddridge] tweeted on 19 January about this unacceptable treatment and our High Commissioner in Kampala pressed the Ugandan authorities to end these unacceptable restrictions on Robert Kyagulanyi's liberty. The High Commissioner continues to meet political actors from all parties and has offered a meeting to Robert Kyagulanyi at the earliest opportunity.

Developing Countries: Nutrition

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 17 December 2020 to Question 128190, whether the Government's prioritisation process will include a public consultation.

Nigel Adams: We are working closely with our partners on the impacts and priorities of our Official Development Assistance (ODA) spend, including through roundtables with Civil Society Organisations such as one recently chaired by Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon. Country Plans will also be informed by consultation with partner governments and other partners on key priorities.As with any major fiscal event, it is right the outcome of the process is formally communicated to Parliament first. We will work closely with our partners and suppliers to explain how this will impact our joint work.

Developing Countries: Nutrition

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 17 December 2020 to Question 128190, whether the Government plans to consult with stakeholders during the prioritisation process.

Nigel Adams: We are working closely with our partners on the impacts and priorities of our Official Development Assistance (ODA) spend, including through roundtables with Civil Society Organisations such as one recently chaired by Lord Ahmad. Country Plans will also be informed by consultation with partner governments and other partners on key priorities.As with any major fiscal event, it is right the outcome of the process is formally communicated to Parliament first. We will work closely with our partners and suppliers to explain how this will impact our joint work.

Christianity: Oppression

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help support Christians at risk of religious persecution in countries around the world.

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the covid-19 pandemic on the number of Christians at risk of religious persecution in countries around the world.

Nigel Adams: The UK remains deeply concerned about the severity and scale of violations and abuses of Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) in many parts of the world. The UK is committed to defending FoRB for all, and promoting respect between different religious and non-religious communities. Where we have concerns, we raise them directly with governments, including at ministerial level. In 2019, the Bishop of Truro released a report commissioned by the then FCO with recommendations to improve the lives of people persecuted for their religion, faith or belief. Of the 22 recommendations, we have fully delivered 10, made good progress on a further 8, and we are confident that all 22 will be delivered by the time of the independent review in 2022.The Minister responsible for Human Rights, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, has underlined the UK's commitment to FoRB, including in November 2020 at the Ministerial to Advance Freedom of Religion or Belief and the Ministers' Forum of the International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance. On 20 December 2020, the Prime Minister appointed Fiona Bruce, MP for Congleton, as his Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief. Mrs Bruce will work with ministers, officials and others to deliver the Government's goal of seeing everyone, everywhere able to have and practise a faith, belief, or no religious belief, in accordance with their conscience.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Databases

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many information gateways there are in operation in his Department; and how those gateways are managed and monitored.

Nigel Adams: The information requested is not held centrally.

Croatia: Earthquakes

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has held with his Croatian counterpart on UK assistance in response to recent earthquakes affecting that country.

Wendy Morton: Immediately following the earthquake of 29 December 2020, I issued a message of support to Croatia and those affected by the earthquake. HRH The Prince of Wales issued a condolence letter to Croatian President Zoran Milanović on 31 December 2020.The British Embassy in Zagreb responded by offering support to first responders and health workers through developing Trauma and Post Traumatic Stress Disorders programmes. The British Embassy in Zagreb continues to work closely with the Croatian government to further develop these programmes and to support those who have been affected by the earthquake.

Belarus: British Nationals Abroad

Alyn Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has received representations on reported threats to life of UK citizens made in the Belarusian newspaper Sovietska Belarus; and what steps he plans to take in response to those reports.

Wendy Morton: The Government condemns the intimidation and persecution of political opposition figures and activists by Lukashenko's regime. Although we have not been directly approached by the persons concerned, we are aware of certain articles in a Belarusian state owned newspaper. These articles have made false claims about our Embassy in Minsk and made threats towards British nationals in the UK, who have spoken out against Lukashenko's regime. We have raised our concerns about this newspaper directly with the Belarusian authorities and to the Belarusian Ambassador in London. Any person in the UK who believes they are at risk are able to contact their local police in the UK.

Commonwealth: Coronavirus

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support Commonwealth nations with the roll-out of the covid-19 vaccination.

Wendy Morton: The UK is committed to rapid and equitable access to safe and effective vaccines. The UK has been instrumental in supporting the establishment of the COVAX Facility, the international initiative managed by Gavi, the vaccine alliance, which provides equitable access to safe and effective vaccines for 190 economies. High and upper-middle-income Commonwealth countries can access the self-financing window of the COVAX Facility. Low- and middle-income Commonwealth countries are eligible for support from the COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC).The UK has committed £548 million to the COVAX AMC, and is among its largest bilateral donors. Our commitment will contribute to the supply of 1 billion doses in up to 92 developing countries in 2021, including Commonwealth nations, vaccinating up to 500 million people. We work closely with COVAX partners, such as the World Health Organisation (WHO), UNICEF, and the World Bank to ensure that countries have the support they need to introduce COVID-19 vaccines. The AMC aims to start deliveries in the first quarter of 2021.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he has taken to waive Intellectual Property Rights to enable the covid-19 vaccine to be manufactured in the global south.

Wendy Morton: The UK is committed to rapid equitable access to safe and effective vaccines, playing a leading role in financing the global effort, and working to identify end-to-end solutions that ensure affordable access for all.The UK Government does not consider waiving intellectual property (IP) rights to be an appropriate course of action to boost the manufacturing of safe, effective, and quality vaccines. The IP system has mobilised research and development to deliver a host of new medicines and technologies to detect, prevent, and treat COVID-19. Along with international financing commitments and collaboration, it has facilitated the partnerships necessary for rapid scaling-up of production for new safe and effective products. A positive example of this is AstraZeneca's decision to agree licences and transfer its IP-enabled technology to other manufacturers, supporting the production of 1 billion doses for low- and middle-income countries.

Belarus: Press Freedom

Alyn Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Belarusian counterpart on the arrest of former FCDO Chevening alumnus and journalist Andrei Aliaksandrau and its wider implications for media freedom in Belarus.

Wendy Morton: The Government is deeply concerned by the continuing attacks on media freedom in Belarus. There have been more than 400 reported incidents of persecution of media figures in Belarus. In 2020, Belarusian journalists spent over 1200 days in prison for simply doing their job. The Government has repeatedly raised its concerns with the Belarusian authorities, including the case of Mr Aliaksandrau and condemned the actions of the Belarusian authorities in international fora. We have increased financial support to independent media organisations in Belarus and have recognised their courage by presenting the inaugural Canada-UK Media Freedom Award to the Belarusian Association of Journalists.

European Union: Politics and Government

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when he last had discussions with João Vale de Almeida.

Wendy Morton: I held discussions with Mr Vale de Almeida on 7 January.

Coronavirus: International Cooperation

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the covid-19 technology access pool in facilitating the sharing of patent-protected information.

Wendy Morton: Since the World Health Organisation (WHO) provided initial details on the COVID-19 technology access pool (C-TAP) in October 2020, the UK has closely engaged industry and the research community. We were the first country to bring together the WHO, industry, and researchers by hosting a seminar on how C-TAP will work.Previous initiatives, like the Medicines Patent Pool, have demonstrated that such mechanisms can deliver real impact. We welcome the voluntary nature of the pool, but need to avoid a 'one-size fits all' approach from deterring potential participants. We continue to pursue these points with the WHO to explore how they can be addressed through the C-TAP operating model.

UK Relations with EU

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans he has to offer full diplomatic status to the EU Delegation to the UK.

Wendy Morton: Discussions with the EU on this matter are still ongoing and we would not wish to pre-empt them. Pending the conclusion of an Establishment Agreement governing the long-term arrangements for the EU Delegation to the UK, the Head of the EU Delegation and his staff enjoy privileges and immunities under Protocol 7 to the EU Treaties.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the number of  people that have received (a) one and (b) two doses of a covid-19 vaccine in (i) least developed countries, (ii) low income countries, (iii) lower middle income countries and (iv) upper middle income countries.

Wendy Morton: The COVAX Facility is on track to deliver at least 2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines by the end of 2021, including at least 1.3 billion doses in up to 92 low- and middle-income economies via the Advance Market Commitment (AMC). The UK is committed to rapid equitable access to safe and effective vaccines, and is among the largest bilateral donors to the COVAX AMC, providing £548 million. The UK welcomes COVAX's recently announced agreement for up to 40 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which will begin to be rolled out shortly. Gavi has published on its website the current COVAX supply forecasts for 2021, subject to regulatory approvals.Rollout figures per country can be found through 'Our World In Data' - https://ourworldindata.org/covid-vaccination-dataset.

British Nationals Abroad: EU Countries

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans he has to negotiate an extension to the 180 day limit on visa-free access for UK visitors to the EU with (a) individual member states and (b) The European Commission.

Wendy Morton: The Government discussed arrangements with the EU for British Citizens travelling to the Schengen Area. Regrettably, the EU consistently maintained that British Citizens will be treated as Third Country Nationals under the Schengen Borders Code from 1 January 2021. This means that British Citizens will be able to travel visa-free for short stays for up to 90 days in a rolling 180-day period. This is the standard length of stay that the EU offers to nationals of eligible third countries that offer visa-free travel for EU citizens, in line with existing EU legislation. British Citizens planning to stay longer will need permission from the relevant Member State.The UK's Trade and Cooperation Agreement with the EU confirms that both the UK and EU currently provide for visa-free travel for short-term visits for each other's nationals in accordance with their respective laws. The detail of those arrangements is set by domestic law. The Government does not typically enter into bilateral agreements on visa-free travel.

Home Office

Immigrants: Coronavirus

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 19 January 2021 to Question 137958 and with reference to in-person reporting of migrants to immigration reporting centres during the covid-19 lockdown, if she will publish her Department's (a) risk assessment undertaken as part of that decision and (b) assessment of the potential merits of continuing in-person reporting during the covid-19 lockdown.

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 19 January 2021 to Question 137958 on in-person reporting of migrants to immigration reporting centres during the covid-19 lockdown, on what basis his Department made a different decision to that made on 24 March 2020 to close reporting centres following the announcement of the covid-19 lockdown in March 2020.

Chris Philp: On Tuesday 17 March 2020, following Public Health and Government guidance relating to COVID19 and the developing situation, we paused immigration reporting and sent an SMS text message to reportees with a valid mobile telephone number on our systems informing them of this.On Tuesday 24 March we maintained the decision to close reporting centres and police reporting temporarily following the Prime Minister’s address to the nation. This was because we were not confident that we could practice safe social distancing and operate within a COVID secure environment.Immigration Enforcement recommenced face to face reporting in July and August for limited, priority cohorts of people. We have implemented Safe Systems of Working (SSOW) and Risk Assessments in all our Reporting Centres where we have put in place robust social distancing measures; health screening questions are asked as a person enters; face masks are offered to those who have travelled without them; and one-way systems and sanitiser stations are placed throughout our buildings. We continue to review our current reporting arrangements in line with any new local and national COVID restrictions that are put in place.Following the announcement on Monday 4 January 2021 we decided to maintain face to face reporting for priority cohorts of people. Our robust Safe Systems of Working and Risk Assessments remain in place and still adhere to current Government guidance. Those that are required to report at this time are covered for movement under The Health Protection Regulations 2020 where movement is permitted for the purpose of fulfilling a legal obligation, including attending court or satisfying bail conditions, or to participate in legal proceedings;We continue to keep in contact with the overall reporting population by telephone to update individuals on the current reporting position. An SMS text or email/letter is sent to those required to recommence reporting informing them of the date and time they should report, along with relevant advice on COVID. We have also updated the reporting pages on GOV.UK for those who report and their representatives. This information includes how to travel most safely by public transport, avoiding both busy transport hubs and traveling at peak times; advice on reporting alone where possible; and what to do if those reporting have symptoms or are shielding and how to contact their local reporting centre.

Sexual Offences

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will work with specialist organisations to create a national framework for adult survivors of sexual exploitation, led by her Department and including a statutory definition of adult sexual exploitation.

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of existing statutory responsibilities to support adult survivors of sexual exploitation; and whether she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to develop that framework.

Victoria Atkins: The Government is committed to tackling modern slavery including sexual exploitation. The Modern Slavery Act 2015, gives law enforcement agencies the tools to tackle modern slavery, including maximum life sentences for perpetrators and enhanced protection for victims. Section 3 of the Act defines the meaning of exploitation in the context of modern slavery and sexual exploitation is included within this definition.In July 2018, the Government commissioned an Independent Review of the Modern Slavery Act 201 , https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-review-of-the-modern-slavery-act-final-report to identify what can be improved in the implementation of the Act and whether specific areas of the legislation need to be strengthened. The Review found that the meaning of exploitation should not be amended as it is sufficiently flexible to meet a range of circumstances, including new and emerging forms of modern slavery.The Government also published statutory guidance under Section 49 https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/950690/January_2021_-_Modern_Slavery_Statutory_Guidance__E_W__Non-Statutory_Guidance__S_NI__v2.pdf of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 in March 2020, providing a clear framework of support for some of the most vulnerable people in society. The guidance clarifies the roles and responsibilities of frontline staff and local stakeholders and sets out the support victims are entitled to and how this is accessed.The Government is very aware that victims of modern slavery including sexual exploitation often have needs arising from their exploitation. That is why, the UK Government provides specialist support and advocacy services for victims of modern slavery regardless of their immigration status to assist them in rebuilding their lives and reintegrating into local communities.The NRM is the process by which the UK identifies and supports potential victims of modern slavery including sexual exploitation by connecting them with appropriate support, which may be delivered through the specialist Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract (MSVCC), local authorities and asylum services. The introduction of the new MSVCC, which went live on the 4 January 2021, has brought about a number of new services and greater prescription to existing services to better meet the needs of each victim, including those with specialist or complex needs. The MSVCC will continue to provide accommodation, financial support payments, translation and interpretation, transport and access to an outreach support worker for those who are identified as a potential victim and receive a positive Reasonable Grounds decision from the Single Competent Authority.

Refugees: Biometric Residence Permits

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average time taken was between a person receiving a positive decision on their refugee status and receiving a biometric residence permit in (a) 2018, (b) 2019 and (c) 2019.

Chris Philp: The Home Office does not keep data relating to the time it takes to deliver a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) from point of a positive decision, but it does have service level agreements (SLAs) with partners for the creation and delivery of BRPs. The Home Office can also check whether and how quickly an individual BRP was created and delivered.The Home Office aims to deliver a BRP within 10 working days of an immigration application being approved.The DVLA, which produces BRPs, has an SLA to complete 90% of production requests within one working day and the remaining 10% within two working days. While this was met consistently until February 2020 the impacts of Covid-19 restrictions and safe working practices have caused occasional delays of up to four working days since April.Our delivery partner is required to attempt first delivery of 99% of BRP within two working days of collection from DVLA. This target was met up until February 2020 and is 92% since then. We are working to improve our performance in all areas.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent estimate she has made of the number of EU citizens who have been have been refused entry to the UK since 1 January 2021.

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many EU citizens were refused entry to the UK in each month of 2020.

Chris Philp: Immigration statistics including Passengers initially refused entry to the United Kingdom for the year ending September 2020 can be found on the .Gov.uk website at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/managed-migration-datasetsThe next Immigration statistical release is due on the 24th February and future data relating to 2021 and beyond will be published in due course.

Rape: Criminal Proceedings

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department plans to publish the end-to-end review of the criminal justice response to rape.

Victoria Atkins: Rape and sexual assault are devastating crimes and we want victims to have the confidence to report them, knowing that every investigation will be conducted thoroughly, and everything will be done to bring offenders to justice.The Government is currently conducting an end-to-end review of the criminal justice response to rape, which includes identifying issues and areas for improvement in the police handling of cases. We want to ensure the review, when published, is as well evidenced as possible, so that it delivers meaningful and long-lasting change. We expect the review to report with actions for cross-system improvement in Spring.

Violent and Sex Offender Register

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, (a) how many times registered sex offenders have been charged with failing to notify the police of a change of name in the past 5 years, and (b) what sentences they received.

Victoria Atkins: The UK has some of the toughest powers in the world to deal with sex offenders and we are committed to ensuring that the system is as robust as it can be.Qualifying offenders are required to notify their personal details to the police. This system is often referred to as the ‘sex offenders’ register’ and requires offenders to provide their local police station with a record of personal details, including their name, address, date of birth, bank details, and national insurance number. Failure to inform the police of a change of name is a breach of the requirements and is a criminal offence with a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment.Figures for number of offenders cautioned or conviction for breaches of the notification requirements are published by the Ministry of Justice in the Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements Annual Report, which is available on gov.uk. This does not include a breakdown of the number of individuals charged, however, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) maintains a central record of this information which shows 16,298 offenders were charged with breach of the notification requirements between 2015 and 2020.A breakdown of the nature of the breach or on the sentences received by those convicted is not collated centrally.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Angela Crawley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many EU nationals living in the UK have been issued Settled Status documentation in their birth name rather than their married name.

Kevin Foster: The information requested is not held centrally.The Home Office issues settled status documentation in the name which is used in the official documentation produced as part of an individual’s application.We do not require married applicants to provide evidence of their birth name.

Counter-terrorism

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether all Prevent projects commissioned by local authorities are pre-approved by her Department.

Kit Malthouse: The Home Office funds dedicated Prevent posts and projects in local authorities where the risk of radicalisation is most acute, to reduce the threat from terrorism. Local authorities who receive Prevent priority Home Office funding are invited to develop and submit bids for locally commissioned projects. These bids must explain how these projects effectively mitigate the threat in that area. Bids are assessed by the Home Office and moderated by a cross-government panel before funding is approved.

Counter-terrorism

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the definition of a civil society organisations in relation to the Prevent strategy includes private companies.

Kit Malthouse: The Home Office funds dedicated Prevent posts and locally commissioned projects in local authorities where the risk of radicalisation is most acute, to reduce the threat from terrorism. The term Civil Society is an umbrella term for third sector organisations. Prevent projects can be delivered by national and local charities, community groups and organisations and private companies. Local authorities submit bids based on each organisations capability and capacity to deliver a project that will mitigate the threat in their local areas.

Terrorism: Arrests

Conor McGinn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 14 December 2020 to Question 126066, for what reason her Department does not collect information on the number of people re-arrested after being previously released on terrorism-related charges.

Kit Malthouse: National security is a Government priority and we take police activity to disrupt individuals suspected of terrorism-related activity seriously.The Home Office publishes quarterly national statistics on the use of police powers under the Terrorism Act 2000 and subsequent relevant legislation in Great Britain. This includes information on arrests, charges and convictions for terrorism-related offences. The most recent publication up to the quarter ending September 2020 was published on 10 December on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/operation-of-police-powers-under-the-terrorism-act-2000-quarterly-update-to-september-2020.The quarterly publications establish transparency by ensuring that data is publicly available on the use of police powers in a consistently categorised way. As with all crime statistics published by the Home Office, data providers are not required to routinely provide further detail on an individual’s previous arrest and charge history, as to do so would place a disproportionate burden on the organisations responsible, particularly the National Counter-Terrorism Police Operations Centre. As with all Official Statistics, we continually review outputs taking account of user needs.

British Nationality: Females

Mr Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many women were deprived of citizenship on the grounds that it was conducive to the public good in (a) 2016, (b) 2017 and (c) 2018.

Kevin Foster: Figures for numbers of conducive deprivation orders, which are made under Section 40(2) of the 1981 British Nationality Act, have been published as part of the HM Government Transparency Report: Disruptive and Investigatory Powers. Four reports have been published to date in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2020.Figures are provided on an annual basis and we do not break those figures down further.

Slavery: EU Nationals

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the accessibility of the EU Settlement Scheme for victims of (a) modern slavery and (b) human trafficking.

Kevin Foster: The Settlement Scheme is an accessible scheme which handles vulnerable customers with sensitivity and flexibility, according to their needs.We have adopted a mixed model approach, using a range of responses to accommodate the often diverse and complex needs that particularly vulnerable people might present, including victims of modern slavery and trafficking.A user group of external Grant Funded Organisations (GFOs) which represent the needs of vulnerable individuals has been established to work with the Home Office to assess and understand relevant risks and issues and to ensure the right support arrangements are in place for vulnerable applicants.38 of those GFOs specialise in helping victims of modern slavery and human trafficking and can provide a bespoke support service to those individuals eligible to apply to EUSS.

British Nationality

Mr Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of whether any of the people subject to orders to deprive UK nationals of citizenship on the grounds that it was conducive to the public good for the years 2016, 2017 and 2018 were victims of trafficking.

Kevin Foster: The UK has an obligation to identify victims of modern slavery and human trafficking who are in the UK, and fulfils this obligation through the National Referral Mechanism.First Responder Organisations, including certain parts of the Home Office, are responsible for identifying possible victims and making referrals into the National Referral Mechanism, as set out in the ‘Modern Slavery: Statutory Guidance for England and Wales (under s49 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015) and Non-Statutory Guidance for Scotland and Northern Ireland’.Figures for conducive deprivation orders, which are made under Section 40(2) of the 1981 British Nationality Act, have been published as part of the HM Government Transparency Report: Disruptive and Investigatory Powers. Four reports have been published to date in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2020.Figures are provided on an annual basis and we do not break that figure down further.

Marriage of Convenience

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many cases of immigration marriage fraud were reported in the UK in (a) 2018 (b) 2019 and (c) 2020; what the average time taken was to deal with each case; and how many of those cases resulted in the removal of the perpetrator of immigration marriage fraud from the UK.

Kevin Foster: Reports of suspected Immigration marriage fraud (sham marriage) are reported to the Home Office by Superintendent registrars and member of the public.The Home Office received reports:From Superintendent registrars: 2,805 in 2018, 3,155 in 2019 and 2,822 in 2020.From members of the public: 7,027 in 2018, 5,554 in 2019 and 4,390 in 2020.The Home Office initially assesses every incoming piece of information within twenty-four hours of receipt. Beyond this, the average time taken to deal with each case of marriage fraud (sham marriage) is not recorded and is therefore not held.The number of people involved in a marriage referral from a Superintendent registrar who have been removed from the UK by year of referral is, 138 in 2018, 87 in 2019 and 10 in 2020.It is not possible to produce data for those reported by the public as this information is not readily available/held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Domestic Service: Migrant Workers

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reason her Department changed the immigration rules concerning the Overseas Domestic Worker visa in April 2012; and which (a) people and (b) groups made representations to her Department to call for those changes.

Kevin Foster: This refers to decisions taken by a previous Government, following public consultation.Details of this consultation can be found at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/changes-affecting-employment-related-settlement-tier-5-and-overseas-domestic-workers.

Coronavirus: Fines and Fixed Penalties

Sarah Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many covid-19 related (a) fines and (b) fixed penalty notices have been imposed by each police force.

Sarah Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many covid-19 related (a) fines and (b) fixed penalty notices have been paid in each police force area.

Kit Malthouse: On 8 January the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) published its latest report on the number of Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) issued under Covid regulations. The data showed that in total, 33,880 FPNs have been issued by police forces in England and Wales under Covid regulations between 27 March and 20 December. The latest information including a breakdown of the number of FPNs issued by each force can be found here:https://cdn.prgloo.com/media/500ef4a4076446d1baa41a2e6a2bb5ae.pdfInformation on fixed penalty notices paid in each police force area is not currently available.

Police: Mobile Radios

Sarah Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of how much the (a) delay of the Emergency Services Network and (b) extended use of the Airwave system will cost each police force.

Kit Malthouse: The direct cost to police forces, is minimal since Airwave is funded centrally rather than by individual police forces.The direct costs that forces will have to pay is estimated to be £1.5B compared to the £0.9B included in the 2015 business case.The additional cost to the police, of running Airwave due to ESN delivery delays is estimated at £1.4B, or, with contingency factored in, £1.6B. This is funded centrally and does not currently impact individual forces.Despite delays, the strategic and investment case for the ESN remains strong.

Animal Welfare: Arrests and Convictions

Alex Davies-Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the effect of changes in the level of police funding on the number of (a) arrests and (b) convictions for offences related to animal cruelty in England and Wales; and if she will make a statement.

Kit Malthouse: The Home Office have announced a provisional police funding settlement of up to £15.8 billion for 2021/22. This is a total increase of up to £636 million for the policing system which will enable police to cut crime and tackle offences including relating to animal cruelty.For the latest data on prosecutions and conviction relating to animal cruelty, please see Parliamentary Question answer 138105, tabled on 14 January 2021.

Law and Order

Mr Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to publish the annual report on Disruptive and Investigatory Powers for the year 2019.

Kit Malthouse: The Government is committed to publishing the annual Transparency Report on Disruptive Powers. The 2018 to 2019 report was published on 19 March 2020. The 2020 report will be published in due course.

Scotland Office

United Kingdom

Theresa Villiers: What steps he is taking to promote the advantages of Scotland remaining part of the UK.

David Duguid: Scotland benefits greatly from being part of a strong United Kingdom, as does the UK as a whole.The most obvious recent examples of our strength as a union are the unprecedented economic support offered to people and businesses in Scotland throughout the current pandemic and the rapid supply of vaccinations to all parts of the UK currently taking place.Neither of these would have been possible if Scotland was not part of the UK.

Fisheries: Scotland

Bill Esterson: What recent steps his Department has taken to support the Scottish fishing sector.

David Duguid: Since well before the end of the Transition Period, My office has been in daily contact with the Scottish seafood industry to help identify and resolve issues with exports and will continue to do so. Last week, the Prime Minister announced a £23 million support fund to help with losses directly related to these issues.

Fisheries: Scotland

Mr Alistair Carmichael: What assessment he has made of the effect of the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement on the Scottish fishing industry.

David Duguid: Leaving the EU means we have left the Common Fisheries Policy and are now recognised as an independent coastal state – something the EU refused to recognise until very late in the negotiations.The agreement allows for a transfer of 25% of quota, previously caught by EU vessels in our waters, to UK fishermen.The agreement also provides for tariff-free access to the EU market for Scotland’s fantastic fisheries products.

Re-employment: Scotland

Christian Matheson: What discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the use of fire and rehire employment practices in Scotland.

David Duguid: The Secretary of State for Scotland regularly discusses issues such as protecting workers' rights with his Cabinet colleagues. For example, the UK Government has acted decisively to provide an unprecedented package of support to protect people’s jobs and livelihoods right across the United Kingdom in response to the Covid pandemic.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Chi Onwurah: What discussions he has had with Scottish Ministers on the availability of data on the covid-19 vaccination program in Scotland.

David Duguid: The vaccination programme is a joint programme between the UK Government and the Devolved Administrations, with the UK Government procuring the vaccines, and the DAs responsible for deploying them. Public Health Scotland publishes data about the numbers of persons vaccinated in Scotland, broken down by various categories, and the UK Government is very supportive of that transparency.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Retail Trade: Coronavirus

Andrew Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to support (a) high street businesses and (b) community stores during the covid-19 lockdown announced in January 2021.

Luke Hall: This Government is fully committed to supporting the businesses and communities that make our high streets and town centres successful as the nation responds to the impacts of the Covid-19 outbreak.Government has provided a comprehensive package of support of £200 billion to help businesses that have been affected by Covid-19. This package includes the small business grants, the coronavirus loan schemes, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, as well as deferral of income tax payments.We are also delivering the £50 million Reopening High Streets Safely Fund to support local authorities with rolling out extra measures to support their business communities and have introduced measures protecting commercial tenants from eviction if they are unable to pay their rent.The High Street Task Force is also playing a vital role in supporting the recovery of our local economies, through providing intelligence and evidence to support government in its response to the Covid-19 outbreak through the creation of monthly reports, a series of webinars to help support local recovery frameworks, and Covid-specific resources in the High Street Task Force’s online resource library.

Homelessness: Coronavirus

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's research entitled Coronavirus (COVID-19) emergency accommodation survey data (November 2020), how many people were offered settled accommodation which was (a) private tenancy, (b) social housing tenancy, (c) longer-term temporary accommodation, (d) accommodation with friends/family, or (e) other.

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's research entitled Coronavirus (COVID-19) emergency accommodation survey data (November 2020), how many people are now accommodated with tenancies of (a) less than and (b) more than 12 months.

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's research entitled Coronavirus (COVID-19) emergency accommodation survey data (November 2020) how many people were offered supported accommodation which is (a) a room in a voluntary sector hostel, (b) supported social housing, (c) supported private rental accommodation, or (d) other.

Eddie Hughes: Tackling homelessness and rough sleeping in all its forms is a key priority for this Government and we have taken unprecedented steps to protect vulnerable rough sleepers during the pandemic.The Department does not hold centrally a breakdown of the data in the format requested. The ‘Everyone In’ campaign has supported around 33,000 people with nearly 10,000 in emergency accommodation and over 23,000 already moved on into longer-term accommodation.Given the new variant of Covid-19 and the current national lockdown, we are redoubling our efforts to ensure that people who sleep rough are kept as safe as possible and that we do everything we can to protect the NHS. This is backed by £10 million to protect rough sleepers and ensure their wider health needs are addressed.We have asked all local authorities to ensure that even more rough sleepers are safely accommodated, and will be asking that this opportunity is actively used to make sure that all rough sleepers are registered with a GP where they are not already and are factored into local area vaccination plans, in line with JCVI prioritisation for Covid-19 vaccinations.

Local Authorities: Cybercrime

Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what (a) assessment has been made of lessons learned and (b) directives have been issued by his Department as a result of the cyber-attacks on (i) Hackney and (ii) Redcar and Cleveland Borough Councils; what other Councils have been cyber-attacked; whether each of those Councils had effective data back-up systems in place prior to being attacked; and what assessment he has made of whether all local authorities now have adequate back-up capabilities.

Luke Hall: MHCLG continues to work with local government, industry and other government agencies to monitor and assess the cyber threats faced by councils. We are working with partners to help councils improve and strengthen their resilience and defences. We would not comment on individual incidents, but recent attacks on Redcar & Cleveland and Hackney have helped to refine our response to ever changing threats.The recent Spending Review made £16 million available to support the modernisation of local authorities’ cyber security systems. This funding will support the development of a cyber health framework, a clear universal baseline for all councils. In addition, it will see more than 2000 staff trained across England, and offer support to modernise old, insecure legacy systems.

Public Sector: Land Use

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the 16 January 2021 press release entitled Right to Regenerate to turn derelict buildings into homes and community assets, what definition his Department plans to use of public and local communities to determine who can request the sale of underused land owned by public bodies in England.

Christopher Pincher: The Government believes that people and communities know how best to make use of local land. The proposals set out in the Right to Regenerate consultation would make it easier to challenge councils and other public organisations to release land for redevelopment – helping communities make better use of public land and give a new lease of life to unloved buildings.Under the current rules, anyone can challenge public bodies to release underused land. Where they are making a request on behalf of a community group, company or other organisation, the applicant is also asked to provide this information. We will consider the views of respondents in relation to this, as with any other views they may have.

Housing: Carbon Emissions

Derek Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if they will mandate zero carbon heating options in the new Future Homes Standard building regulations and take steps to introduce such new regulations by December 2023.

Christopher Pincher: From 2025, the Future Homes Standard will ensure that new homes produce at least 75 per cent lower CO2 emissions compared to those built to current standards. This represents a considerable improvement in the energy efficiency standards for new homes. Homes built under the Future Homes Standard will be ‘zero carbon ready’, with low carbon heating and very high fabric standards.We have listened to calls for a swifter and more certain pathway and our work on a full technical specification for the Future Homes Standard has been accelerated. We therefore intend to consult on this in 2023 and introduce the necessary legislation in 2024, ahead of full implementation of the Future Homes Standard in 2025.The Building Regulations will continue to set a performance-based standard rather than mandating or banning the use of any technologies. However, to make sure that new homes are zero carbon ready we plan to set the performance standard of the Future Homes Standard at a level which means that new homes will not be built with fossil fuel heating. To ensure the Gas Act is in line with the Future Homes Standard, the Energy White Paper also confirmed that we will seek views on the feasibility of ending the connection of new build homes to the natural gas grid.

Building Safety Fund: Mass Media

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to amend the contract for the Building Safety Fund to ensure applicants are able to communicate with journalists about repairs without prior approval of Government press officers.

Christopher Pincher: The Building Safety Fund does not impose restrictions on leaseholders or residents in their private capacity as individual flat owners commenting on remediation projects or on Government policy on cladding and remediation, and neither does it prevent applicants from commenting on Government policy.   The Department has written to building owners who have signed agreements to make this clear. We intend to clarify the clause in future contracts to make it clearer that it does not apply to leaseholders and that they are free to speak freely to the media in a personal capacity.

Caravan Sites: Evictions

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has plans to protect from eviction people who reside on caravan sites, within holiday parks the licences for which may expire.

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Government's moratorium on evictions extends to people living on a holiday caravan site with an 11 month operating license as their primary residence, and who have no tenancy agreement, but a valid license agreement for their pitch.

Christopher Pincher: The moratorium on evictions only applies to residential caravan sites. It does not apply to caravan sites with planning permission for holiday use.During this period of national lockdown, accommodation providers including holiday caravan parks, must close. However, there are a number of exemptions that allow businesses to remain open, including where households are using this accommodation as their main residence.Where sites have to close because planning conditions require them to do so, we encourage site owners to work with their respective local authorities to plan for any possible impacts the closure might have.

Buildings: Suffolk

Tom Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will identify the 17 buildings in Suffolk affected by unsafe cladding; and what steps he is taking to ensure tenants in those buildings are aware that their homes have unsafe cladding.

Christopher Pincher: The Government does not disclose the names and locations of individual buildings with unsafe cladding out of concerns for public safety. It should be noted that the owners of each of the affected buildings have been informed, who we expect will ensure that their residents are kept fully informed as part of their responsibilities.

Waking Watch Relief Fund

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Waking Watch Relief Fund will fund the cost of infrared CCTV systems for fire detection as well as more standard alarm systems for eligible buildings.

Christopher Pincher: The Waking Watch Relief Fund is designed to incentivise the installation of a common alarm system in high rise residential buildings with unsafe cladding and reduce the dependency on expensive Waking Watch measures. The Fund will cover the upfront capital costs of installing a common fire alarm system designed in accordance with the recommendations of BS 5839-1 for a Category L5 system, which is referred to in the National Fire Chief Council’s revised guidance on Simultaneous Evacuation.

Buildings: Fire Prevention

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of available testing capacity for samples removed from buildings as part of fire safety assessments; and if he will make a statement.

Christopher Pincher: The Department continues to support building owners by providing free screening tests for the identification of Aluminium Composite Materials.The Government announced on 19 January that it will shortly commission an independent review to examine in detail the deficiencies in testing and conformity assessment regime for construction products.The review will report later this year.

Buildings: Insulation

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much of the £1 billion fund for non-ACM cladding removal has been paid out.

Christopher Pincher: The latest Building Safety Fund: Registration Statistics published on 21 January 2021, which includes data on funding allocation, can be found at: www.gov.uk/guidance/remediation-of-non-acm-buildings#building-safety-fund-registration-statistics.

Buildings: Repairs and Maintenance

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many buildings over 18m clad in ACM have not had their remediation work completed in each region.

Christopher Pincher: The Department publishes data on the number of high-rise residential and publicly owned buildings in England with ACM cladding systems unlikely to meet Building Regulations. The latest data is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/building-safety-programme-monthly-data-release-december-2020.Data is not published at the regional level but local authority level data is available here:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/954323/Table_3_Building_Safety_Data_Release_December_2020.csv/preview.Data for the areas of London, Greater Manchester and the Rest of England is available here:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/954326/Table_6_Building_Safety_Data_Release_December_2020.csv/preview.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Staff

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many departmental staff (a) were employed from April to December 2020 and (b) are currently employed to process building safety fund registrations.

Christopher Pincher: MHCLG core departmental workforce numbers for the period April to October 2020 are published online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/workforce-management.The processing of Building Safety Fund registrations is carried out by specialists, contracted by MHCLG for this purpose.

Housing: Ownership

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to help people buy their own home in (a) York and (b) England.

Christopher Pincher: First Homes, our new home ownership scheme, will be prioritised for first-time buyers and will allow them to buy a new home with a discount of at least 30 per cent under market value. In some areas, the discounts could be as high as 50 per cent. This will significantly reduce both deposit and mortgage requirements and open up the dream of home ownership to even more people.Our new Help to Buy Equity Loan scheme from April 2021 to March 2023 will be targeted at helping first-time buyers to get a foot on the property ladderAs set out in the Conservative manifesto of December 2019, the Government will encourage a market in long-term fixed rate mortgages with low deposits to promote home ownership. We stand ready to work with the sector to explore the possible options to bring these products to market.

Cabinet Office

Post Codes: Databases

Robert Largan: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the (a) reliability and (b) accessibility of the UK's official list of addresses.

Julia Lopez: Since 2010, addressing data from Local Authorities, Royal Mail, Improvement Service Scotland, Ordnance Survey, Land and Property Services Northern Ireland, and the Valuation Office Agency has been brought together within the National Address Gazetteer. The gazetteer contains over 40 million records and provides the most reliable and complete view of all property locations across the UK.The gazetteer is managed by GeoPlace (a joint venture between the Local Government Association and Ordnance Survey) to ensure that the data is as up to date and accurate as possible.

Elections: Proof of Identity

Cat Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many tenders or contracts have been granted by his Department to investigate the effect of introducing Voter ID on voting.

Chloe Smith: Details of Government contracts are published on gov.uk.

Treasury

Hospitality Industry and Retail Trade: Coronavirus

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what fiscal steps his Department is taking to ensure that businesses in the hospitality, leisure and retail supply chain are able to survive the January 2021 covid-19 lockdown.

Kemi Badenoch: The Government recognises that businesses in the hospitality, leisure and retail supply chain have been severely impacted by recent necessary restrictions to these sectors. The Chancellor has announced that £594 million is being made available for Local Authorities and the Devolved Administrations to support businesses ineligible for grants for closed businesses, but who might be impacted by COVID-19 restrictions. This funding comes in addition to the £1.1 billion discretionary grant for Local Authorities previously announced. Local Authorities have discretion to determine how much funding to provide to businesses and have the flexibility to target local businesses that are important to their local economies. Businesses in the hospitality, leisure and retail supply chain will also be able to benefit from: the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), extended until the end of April 2021; a ‘New Payment Scheme’ for spreading out repayments of deferred VAT; access to affordable, Government backed loan schemes, extended until the end of March; and ‘Pay as You Grow’ providing businesses repayment flexibility on loans secured through BBLS or CBILS.

Video Games: Tax Allowances

Jonathan Gullis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the contribution of Video Games Tax Relief to (a) jobs, (b) investment and (c) productivity in the UK video games sector.

Kemi Badenoch: The government supported the completion of 150 video games in 2019-2020 via Video Games Tax Relief (VGTR), with UK expenditure of £355 million. The government published an evaluation of VGTR in 2017, which can be found here:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/video-game-tax-relief-evaluation Research showed that VGTR enabled developers to be more productive by giving them more stability and lowering their level of risk, enabling them to survive longer and look beyond immediate financial concerns to focus on expanding their business or improving their offer. The evaluation found concrete examples of inward investment, and indications that VGTR had stemmed the drain of UK talent to countries such as France and Canada.

British Nationals Abroad: EU Countries

Anne Marie Morris: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to provide financial support to businesses that incur extra costs through having to apply for a visa to resume work in Europe.

Kemi Badenoch: The Government recognises that our new relationship with the EU requires businesses to adapt to new rules whilst at the same time responding to the unprecedented coronavirus pandemic. We have already invested funds to help businesses adapt to changes, which includes:£84 million made available by HMRC in grants for intermediaries and traders supporting recruitment, employee training and IT projectsscaling of our Growth Hub network in England to provide more support to SMEs locallyan economic package of support for businesses impacted by Covid-19 to provide certainty over the Winter months, including further support measures announced on 5 January. Moreover, the Government is taking a flexible and pragmatic approach to allow businesses to prepare. For example, recognising the impact of Coronavirus, we decided to introduce our border controls in three stages up until 1 July 2021, giving businesses extra time to adjust to the new procedures. Going forward, we are continuing to engage intensively with business in sectors that are most affected by our changing relationship with the EU to help them adjust and to continue to successfully compete on the global stage.

Beer: Excise Duties

Fay Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of reducing beer duty.

Kemi Badenoch: Alcohol duties are kept under review and the merits of a change to beer duty is considered at each fiscal event. Announcements about any changes to beer duty will be made in the usual way at the next Budget.

Insolvency: Taxation

Kevin Hollinrake: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion by value of taxes typically owed by businesses at the point of insolvency are expected to be covered by the extension of secondary preferential creditor status for HMRC to include VAT, PAYE, and other taxes.

Kevin Hollinrake: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the extension of secondary preferential creditor status for HMRC on business lending in the (a) retail and (b) manufacturing sector.

Jesse Norman: The recent change to HMRC’s creditor status for certain debts ensures that when a business enters insolvency, more of the taxes paid in good faith by its employees and customers, but held temporarily by the business, go to fund public services as intended, rather than be distributed to other creditors. This measure is forecast to raise up to £255 million a year, and the average recovery will be determined on a case by case basis. While there is no specific analysis of the impact for individual sectors the Government has engaged extensively with stakeholders in the finance industry and held a formal consultation on the policy design. Having considered all views carefully, the Government believes these reforms take a fair and proportionate approach, balancing the interests of taxpayers, the Exchequer and other creditors. Bank lending to small and medium-sized businesses alone in 2019 was £57 billion, and the majority of business lending is by fixed charges and is unaffected by this measure. In part for this reason, this change is not expected to have a significant impact on financial institutions, the lending market or wider economy. The OBR did not make any adjustments to their economic forecast in response to this measure.

Working Tax Credit

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of paying childcare tax credits directly to childcare providers.

Jesse Norman: The childcare element of Working Tax Credit is intended to facilitate parental employment and is considered to be most effective when paid directly as part of a tax credits award, so that parents are afforded more of the choice and flexibility they need in order to work. As well as giving families flexibility and responsibility in managing their financial affairs, the current approach avoids increasing the administrative burden on providers. Given that the childcare element covers a proportion of costs, paying providers directly would add an unnecessary layer of complexity, as providers would still have to obtain the remaining costs directly from parents.

VAT

Kevin Hollinrake: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the value of deferred VAT payments under the Deferral Scheme for VAT that will become payable on or after 1 December 2020.

Jesse Norman: Approximately £34bn of the VAT that was due between 20 March and 30 June 2020 was deferred until 31 March 2021. Some businesses have started to pay deferred VAT ahead of 31 March 2021 but most of the £34bn remains outstanding. Businesses can pay deferred VAT in full by 31 March 2021 or, should they wish, they can spread payment of deferred VAT over smaller monthly instalments. Further details are available at www.gov.uk/hmrc/vat-deferral.

Supply Teachers: Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

Grahame Morris: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to provide financial support to supply teachers who are ineligible for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme during the 2021 covid-19 lockdown.

Steve Barclay: I refer the honourable member to the answer given on 25 January 2021 to PQ UIN 140813.

Money: Coronavirus

Chris Elmore: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will appoint the Financial Conduct Authority to track changes in cash acceptance by UK businesses in response to the finding in research from Which? that found 1 in 3 people have had their cash refused since the beginning of the covid-19 outbreak.

Chris Elmore: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the March 2020 Budget, what his timetable is for bringing forward legislative proposals for protecting people’s ability to access cash.

John Glen: The Government recognises that cash remains important to millions of people across the UK and has committed to protecting access to cash. The Government published a Call for Evidence on 15 October 2020 seeking views on the key considerations associated with cash access, including deposit and withdrawal facilities, cash acceptance, and regulatory oversight of the cash system.The Government will ensure that regulators have the right responsibilities and powers to oversee the cash system. As set out in the Call for Evidence, effective coordination between the financial authorities will continue to be critical, but the Government considers that there may also be benefit in giving a single authority overall responsibility for ensuring the retail cash system meets the needs of consumers and businesses. The Government’s view is that the FCA may be well positioned to take on the function through legislation. The Call for Evidence closed on the 25 November 2020. The Government is considering responses and will set out next steps in due course. The Government also remains closely engaged with the financial regulators, including through the Treasury-chaired Joint Authorities Cash Strategy Group, to monitor and assess risks around cash relating to COVID-19. In order to help control the virus, all businesses and individuals are encouraged to follow the latest Government advice. It is important to wash your hands regularly. To work safely, retailers have been recommended to minimise contact around transactions, for example, considering using contactless payments. It remains the individual retailer’s choice as to whether to accept or decline any form of payment, including cash or card.

London Capital and Finance: Insolvency

Angela Crawley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Written Statement of 17 December 2020, HCWS67, when his Department plans to establish a compensation scheme for London Capital & Finance bondholders.

Angela Crawley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Written Statement of 17 December 2020, HCWS678, how the Government compensation scheme for London Capital & Finance bondholders will be administered.

Angela Crawley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Written Statement of 17 December 2020 HCWS678, whether the Government compensation scheme for London Capital and Finance plc bondholders will be available to all bondholders with no restrictions on the size or the timing of their investment.

Mohammad Yasin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish a timescale for setting up and implementing the compensation scheme for the victims of the London Capital & Finance bondholder savings scandal.

Mohammad Yasin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will compensate all victims of the London Capital & Finance bondholder savings scandal.

John Glen: In my Written Ministerial Statement on 17 December 2020, I outlined the three main channels through which London Capital & Finance plc (LCF) bondholders can seek compensation. These are the administration process, the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), and the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) Complaints Scheme. My statement also announced that, taking into consideration the specific and complex set of circumstances surrounding the collapse of LCF, the Treasury will set up a compensation scheme which will assess whether there is justification for further one-off compensation payments in certain circumstances for some LCF bondholders . The Government will announce further details in due course.

Business: Coronavirus

Lucy Powell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much funding has been allocated from the public purse to businesses in each region of the UK through the Future Fund; how much the average allocation is; and how many and what proportion of businesses in each region of the UK that applied to that Fund have been awarded a loan.

John Glen: Data on the Future Fund is regularly published by the British Business Bank on their website, and their last release was on 17 December. The table attached breaks down by region and nation: the number of firms that have received funding, the application success rate (notwithstanding in-flight applications) and the total amount awarded. The average allocation per business from the government is £1m.  UIN 141989 (docx, 20.4KB)

Help to Save Scheme

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2020 to Question 104701 on Help to Save Scheme, what plans he has to ensure that reminders are sent to people who have opened a Help to Save account but have not made a deposit yet of the advantages of using that account.

John Glen: In addition to HM Revenue and Customs’ regular contact with customers with no deposits in their Help to Save accounts, HMRC are about to start a programme of sending e-mails to customers, with no money in their account after 3 months, to explain the advantages of using their accounts and the impact on their potential bonus payment.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Film: Coronavirus

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to reports of a further delay to the release of the latest James Bond film, whether he plans further measures to support the cinema industry during the covid-19 outbreak.

Caroline Dinenage: The government recognises the significant cultural and economic value of cinemas, and has supported them through both sector-specific and economy-wide measures. More than 200 independent cinemas have so far received funding of £16 million in the first round of the £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund, This funding is being administered by the BFI on behalf of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, as part of the biggest ever single investment in this country’s cultural sectors. Grants have been awarded to cinema sites in every corner of the country, with cinemas outside London benefitting from 78% of funding to date. Further to this, we announced in December that cinemas will be able to apply for a share of an additional £14 million in grants as part of the second round of the Culture Recovery Fund. This second round launched on 11 January, and will provide support for cinemas into the next financial year. Cinemas have also been eligible to apply to the second round of Arts Council England’s Repayable Finance scheme, with a total of £100 m available. Recognising that cinemas need content, during this crisis the Government’s Film and TV Production Restart Scheme has helped keep the cameras rolling at the other end of the screen supply chain. The £500 million scheme, which opened for applications in October 2020, has assured over 100 productions that they will be supported if future losses are incurred due to Covid-19 and provided the confidence they need to restart filming. In addition, most cinemas have been and are continuing to benefit from economy-wide measures including the VAT cut on tickets and concessions, a business rates holiday, access to Bounce Back Loans, the extended Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and Local Restrictions Support Grants. Together these measures are providing a comprehensive package of support to the cinema industry to support it through the pandemic.

Music: Coronavirus

Mhairi Black: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what financial support he is providing to the music industry to help that industry recover from the covid-19 outbreak.

Caroline Dinenage: The Government acknowledges the importance of the music industry to the UK economy and that it has been significantly affected by the impacts of COVID-19. The £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund will benefit the music sector by providing support to venues and many other organisations. Over £1 billion of the fund has now been allocated to over 3,000 arts and culture organisations across the country, including over £54 million to over 300 music venues. A contingency element of £400 million of the Culture Recovery Fund was held back so that it could be most effectively used dependent on the state of the pandemic, with grant applications closing on 26 January 2021. This fund will support cultural organisations facing financial distress as a result of closure, as well as helping them transition back to fuller opening. The Government’s broader economic measures have also supported the music industry. This support includes business rates relief; £1.1 billion existing discretionary funding for Local Authorities; the furlough scheme and Self-Employment Income Support Scheme, which have been extended to April; and the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme and Bounce Back Loan Scheme, which have been extended until March. In addition, the Treasury announced a temporary reduction in VAT for concert tickets from 20% to 5% to take effect from 15 July 2020 for ticket sales until 31 March.

Supermarkets: Biometrics

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Answer of 14 December 2020 to Question 910164 on the protection of shop workers, what recent discussions Ministers in his Department have had with supermarkets on the use of live facial recognition in their stores.

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the implications for (a) levels of discrimination against people from BAME backgrounds and (b) human rights of the use of live facial recognition by private companies.

Mr John Whittingdale: The Minister for Crime and Policing has not had any discussions with supermarkets since the Answer of 14 December 2020.The use of biometric data (including facial images) by private companies to identify individuals is regulated by the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018. Under the legislation, data processing must be fair, lawful and transparent. Companies would generally need to show that the use of biometric data was necessary for reasons of substantial public interest, as defined by the legislation. Individuals who consider their data has been misused can make complaints to the Information Commissioner's Office, the independent regulator of the legislation.On 27 November, the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation (CDEI) published its review into bias in algorithmic decision-making, which explored the different ways that algorithmic decision-making may affect protected characteristic data, such as race. We will respond to the report in due course. Facial recognition also remains a high priority for the ICO, which has indicated that it will be publishing more about its use by the private sector later this year.

Local Press

Andrew Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to support local newspapers.

Mr John Whittingdale: The government is committed to supporting local and regional newspapers as vital pillars of communities and local democracy. Local newspapers have benefited from a number of recent interventions, including the extension of business rates relief for local newspapers in England for an additional five years; the investment of £2 million in the Future News Fund; and the zero-rating of VAT on e-newspapers.During the pandemic, many newspapers have also benefited from a unique and unprecedented government advertising partnership, designed to deliver important messages to UK citizens. Newspapers received up to £35 million additional government advertising revenue as part of the first phase of our coronavirus communications campaign. The campaign has subsequently been extended with at least 60% funding going to smaller regional and local titles.Looking ahead, the government announced in November 2020 that it will establish a new pro-competition regime for digital markets. At the heart of this will be a mandatory code of conduct to govern the relationships between dominant firms and those that rely on their services, including news publishers. The code will be a significant intervention in the government’s effort to support the sustainability of the news publishing industry, helping to rebalance the relationship between publishers and the online platforms on which they increasingly rely.We will continue to consider all possible options in the interests of promoting and sustaining high-quality news journalism at a local level.

Employment: Privacy

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many times the information commissioner (a) investigated and (b) fined companies for breaching an employee's right to privacy (i) in each of the five years to April 2020 and (ii) since April 2020.

Mr John Whittingdale: The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is currently investigating eight cases in relation to employees’ right to privacy in connection with the use of employee monitoring technology. The ICO has reported that it has not been possible to provide details of the concluded cases in each of the five years to April 2020 within the very limited time available.My department will write to the Honourable Member with further details in due course and place a copy of the letter in the House Library.

Mobile Phones: West Sussex

Andrew Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what progress his Department has made on improving mobile coverage in rural West Sussex.

Matt Warman: The Government wants the UK to have high-quality mobile coverage where people live, work and travel, and we are committed to extending geographic mobile coverage further to 95% of the UK.That is why the Government announced on 9 March 2020 that it had agreed the £1 billion Shared Rural Network deal with the mobile network operators. This landmark deal will see operators collectively increase mobile phone coverage throughout the UK to 95% by the end of 2025, underpinned by legally binding coverage commitments.Since signing the agreement, however, initial radio plans have been submitted to the regulator, Ofcom, and an open, fair and transparent competitive procurement process for the publicly funded elements of the programme has commenced.We are currently unable to provide any details on the precise location or number of new or upgraded masts that may be delivered in rural areas of West Sussex as a result of the programme. However, I have personally encouraged operators to be transparent about their plans.

House of Commons Commission

Parliamentary Estate: Coronavirus

Chris Stephens: To ask the hon. Member for Perth and North Perthshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, whether the Commission has received advice from Public Health England on what level of increased risk of covid-19 infection would require the suspension of work on the Parliamentary Estate.

Pete Wishart: The Commission has received no advice from Public Health England on what level of increased risk of covid-19 infection would require the suspension of work on the Parliamentary Estate.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Inland Waterways: Pollution

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether measuring plastic levels in waterways is a priority of his Department.

Rebecca Pow: Addressing plastic pollution in our waterways is a priority for Defra. In order to measure plastic levels accurately, it is important to use consistent sampling, collection and assessment methodologies for measuring plastics in various environmental media (sediments, water column or biota). Defra is working with the Environment Agency, academia and water companies, to develop such methodologies to enable future monitoring of plastics in wastewater, sludge and the water environment. Defra is also working with the relevant committees at the British Standards Institute (BSI) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) to progress the development of agreed standards for sampling and analytical methodologies for plastics in the aquatic environment.

Plastics: Recycling

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many breaches of compliance his Department has identified of plastic recyclers not complying with their environmental permits in the latest period for which data is available.

Rebecca Pow: In 2018 the number of breaches for operators of waste treatment activities accepting plastic wastes was 260.

Plastics: Pollution

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many instances of plastic pollution the Environment Agency identified in the last two years; and what assessment that agency made of whether such pollution posed a significant risk to the public.

Rebecca Pow: The Environment Agency (EA) doesn’t currently collect data on instances of plastic pollution. The Environment Agency has a 7-point plan to reduce plastics in the environment and is working with stakeholders to reduce avoidable plastic waste and encourage a circular economy where possible.

Chemicals: Health Hazards

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what (a) financial and (b) other support the Government is providing to areas with disproportionate environmental contaminants as a legacy of historical industrialisation and urbanisation.

Rebecca Pow: The 2015 Spending Review awarded the Environment Agency approximately £0.5m per year of Contaminated Land Capital Funding to support investigations of potential Special Sites on behalf of local authorities and remediation of orphan Special Sites and we are considering where capital investment would best support remediation in the future. HMRC also provides Land Remediation Relief which provides a deduction of 100% from corporation tax, plus a deduction of 50%, for qualifying expenditure incurred by companies cleaning up contaminated land acquired from a third party. The majority of land affected by contamination in England (approx 90%) is investigated and cleaned up by the private sector through the planning regime. Defra, the Environment Agency, and the Coal Authority are also working in partnership to tackle pollution of the water environment in areas with a legacy of historical metal mining through the Water and Abandoned Metal Mines programme.

Pets: Theft

Sir Iain Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of creating a separate offence for pet theft to tackle the level of pet theft.

Victoria Prentis: All reported crimes should be taken seriously, investigated and, where appropriate, taken through the courts and met with tough sentences. The theft of a pet is already a criminal offence under the Theft Act 1968 and the maximum penalty is seven years' imprisonment.The Government takes the issue of pet theft very seriously and is concerned by suggestions that occurrences are on the rise. We consider that the current offences which apply to cases of pet theft are appropriate.Sentencing is a matter for the Courts and should take into account the circumstances of each case. When deciding on an appropriate sentence, the Courts may consider aggravating and mitigating factors, in line with sentencing guidelines issued by the Sentencing Council. In February 2016 the Sentencing Council updated its guidelines in relation to sentencing for theft offences. The guidelines take account of the emotional distress, and therefore harm, that theft of a pet can have on the victim, and accordingly the guidelines recommend higher penalties for such offences.If someone causes an animal to suffer in the course of stealing it they are also liable to prosecution under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. The existing maximum custodial penalty for causing animal cruelty is 6 months' imprisonment. Legislation is currently before Parliament - the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Bill - which when passed will increase the maximum penalty to 5 years' imprisonment. This will be the highest penalty for animal cruelty in Europe. The Government will support this Bill as it makes its way through Parliament.As I said at the recent Westminster Hall debate on pet theft, we continue to keep the situation under review and are keen to explore ways to address pet theft that will be effective and have a meaningful impact. That includes working with interested parties, including the police and animal welfare organisations to try and get messages across to pet owners to help them keep their pets safe.

Supermarkets: Coronavirus

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with supermarkets to ensure that they are covid-19 secure environments.

Victoria Prentis: The Secretary of State has covered Covid security issues in recent meetings with supermarket chief executives. This subject has also been a key focus of the regular forums that bring together officials and supermarket representatives. In all these meetings the supermarkets have emphasised their commitment to ensuring a Covid-secure environment for their customers and their staff. We will continue to work with them to support the steps they are taking to encourage customers to comply with Government rules and guidance. The Secretary of State also wrote to those working in our food and drink supply chains recently, thanking them for the work they have done throughout the pandemic.

Forests: Brazil

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with supermarkets and other high street retailers that sell products associated with (a) legal and (b) illegal deforestation in the Cerrado region of Brazil on their role in combating the climate emergency.

Rebecca Pow: Over the past year, Defra Ministers and senior officials have had numerous discussions with supermarkets and other high street retailers regarding sustainable supply chains and products associated with both legal and illegal deforestation. This included, in November 2020, a ministerial roundtable with industry stakeholders to discuss due diligence legislation for forest risk commodities, and the launch event of the Government’s response to the Global Resource Initiative’s (GRI) recommendations. The GRI taskforce was established by the Government in 2019 to bring together representatives from industry and civil society to recommend actions to reduce the climate and environmental impacts of UK supply chains. The GRI published its report in March 2020 and the Government outlined its response in November 2020. This response included introducing world-leading due diligence legislation for forest risk commodities and working, as co-Presidents of COP26, to forge a new alliance between governments to ensure global supply chains are sustainable. The UK Government will continue working with industry, the GRI taskforce, and other governments to tackle deforestation in the Cerrado and around the world.

Soya Beans: Brazil

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect of UK companies importing soya from the Cerrado region in Brazil of local legislation that permits deforestation of up to 80 per cent on (a) biodiversity, (b) South American river systems and (c) the human rights of indigenous communities.

Rebecca Pow: The UK Government recognises the current challenge of deforestation in the Cerrado for the production of agricultural products such as soya. The Cerrado is a critical biome and home to 5% of the planet’s animal and plant species and 30% of Brazil’s biodiversity. The effect of deforestation on biodiversity, South American river systems, and the human rights of indigenous communities in the Cerrado is significant. We are committed to tackling deforestation and its social and environmental consequences across our global supply chains, including in the Cerrado. 27% of the soya imported into the UK is sourced in Brazil. Much of this is produced in the Amazon Soy Moratorium region, which is considered to have some of the strictest forest protections in the world. The Government has not made an explicit assessment of UK soy imports from the Cerrado on biodiversity, rivers, and indigenous people’s rights, but continues to work closely with the UK Roundtable on Sustainable Soya, which it convened in 2018, to ensure the legality and sustainability of imported soya. The problem of deforestation in areas such as the Cerrado can only be comprehensively addressed through international action. That is why, as co-Presidents of COP26, we are working to forge a new alliance between producer and consumer governments to ensure global supply chains are sustainable.

Rivers: Metals

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department is making of sediment-bound concentrations of key heavy metals and metalloids within the modern river network.

Rebecca Pow: Sediment-bound concentrations of metals and metalloids are assessed through the Water and Abandoned Metal Mines Programme where there is a site- or catchment-specific need to do so. The Government does not routinely monitor for sediment-bound concentrations of metals and metalloids within the wider river network. However, the Environment Agency regularly measures levels of metals - including lead, nickel and cadmium - in freshwater as part of its water quality monitoring regime.

Rivers: Contamination

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for what reason his Department has not adopted sediment quality guidelines to provide an assessment of levels beyond which heavy metal contamination may pose a risk to aquatic biota and human health.

Rebecca Pow: The Environment Agency assesses the risk from heavy metals in freshwater, estuaries and coasts on the basis of Environmental Quality Standards (EQS). These are mostly based on water concentrations and for some substances they are based on the fraction of the metal known to be the most toxic to aquatic life. The EQS for mercury, for example, is based on concentrations of the metal in the tissues of aquatic animals. This allows direct assessment of the amount accumulating in the food chain which may present a risk to biota and higher predators that eat them, which is also protective of human health.The Secretary of State has the powers to update EQSs in future in light of new scientific knowledge and so, whilst we have not adopted sediment quality guidelines for heavy metals in the freshwater environment at this stage, Defra will keep this under review.In the marine environment, sediment assessment levels are in place for a range of contaminants, including heavy metals, that are used to enable risk assessments of the potential impacts to marine life such as fish and seabed organisms. Sediment action levels exist to inform the management of the sediment such as the disposal of dredged sediment to sea.

Flood Control

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what additional resources he will allocate to areas that are likely to be affected by Storm Christoph.

Rebecca Pow: The Government is closely monitoring the impact of Storm Christoph on affected communities and the National Flood Response Centre is open, coordinating the cross-Government response to flooding impacts. The Environment Agency (EA) is prepared to take action this winter wherever it is needed and is constantly working with local authorities, and Local Resilience Forums made up of all Emergency Responders. The EA’s front-line staff are ensuring their incident response is undertaken in a Covid-secure way. Throughout the year the EA has continued to build and repair flood defences. The EA has 250 high volume pumps available and 6,500 trained staff across the country, including 314 trained flood support officers. Defra can also call upon the support of military assets and personnel to assist the EA and local responders, if required. The EA has 40km of metal frame temporary barriers, which can be delivered anywhere in the country within 12 hours, providing additional protection to locations where there are no permanent defences or where forecast river levels could overtop existing defences. As of 8 January 2021, there were over 1.52 million properties in England signed up to the EA's free flood warning service, which sends a message directly by voice message, text or email when a flood warning is issued. With localised flooding incidents local authorities are expected to have well established contingency arrangements in place and to be able to respond and support their local communities from within existing budgets. However, following severe weather with significant impacts across multiple local authorities the Government is able to deploy the Flood Recovery Framework which includes a Community Recovery Grant, Council Tax Discounts and Business Rate Relief. We will continue to monitor the situation and assess whether further support is needed in the event that flooding impacts increase.

Rivers: Pollution Control

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to tackle phosphate pollution in the (a) Mersey and (b) UK river network.

Rebecca Pow: The Government has set standards for phosphorus (P) in rivers, including the River Mersey, applied through the river basin management plans produced by the Environment Agency and its counterparts in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.Since the mid-1990s, considerable progress has been made in reducing phosphorus in rivers. However, the standards are stringent and further measures are still needed. Phosphorus loadings to rivers from waste water treatment works in England have reduced by 67% since 1995 through investment in phosphorus reduction technology at treatment works and further reductions are planned up to 2027.For agriculture, Farming Rules for Water and Catchment Sensitive Farming are helping. Defra is also commencing a 7-year transition from EU-based rules to a system in which farmers are paid to improve the environment through a new Environmental Land Management scheme, which includes nutrient management.

Rivers: Pollution Control

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to remove microplastic contamination from the (a) Mersey and (b) UK river network.

Rebecca Pow: The Environment Agency (EA) regulates a number of activities which have the potential to cause plastic waste pollution in the River Mersey. The EA is responsible for the regulation of permitted and exempt plastics recycling plants, which includes reviewing inspection and compliance checks to ensure plastics recyclers are complying with their environmental permits. In 2018 the EA visited all facilities which treated or reprocessed plastic waste and checked they were not losing plastic fragments into surface water draining into the Mersey.The EA also works nationally to reduce waste crime which helps to minimise and prevent loss of plastic waste into the environment from businesses by keeping it in the waste management system. The EA has worked with the energy sector to reduce plastic media from the cooling treatment processes. It has also worked with water companies to prevent plastic bio-bead loss from the wastewater processes. The EA is working with businesses and leading academics to investigate the types and quantities of plastics, including micro-plastics, entering the environment. This research will feed into plans to tackle this type of pollution at source.

UN Convention on Biological Diversity

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the timeframe for enactment of the Environment Bill and potential biodiversity targets under that legislation, if he will take steps to help ensure the effectiveness of Aichi targets at the Convention on Biodiversity.

Rebecca Pow: The UK is committed to playing a leading role in developing an ambitious and transformative framework of international targets under the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD), which will replace the existing Aichi targets. The new CBD goals and targets are expected to be agreed later this year, at CBD COP15. Due to exceptional pressure on the parliamentary timetable as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Environment Bill will be carried over into the Second Parliamentary Session. Key work on implementing the Bill’s measures will continue at pace and the deadline to bring forward targets by October 2022 will remain. This timing will allow us to set at least one new, long-term, legally binding target for biodiversity under the Environment Bill, reflecting the priorities of the CBD’s global framework as well as our existing priorities set out in the 25 Year Environment Plan (25YEP). That does not mean that we will wait until October 2022 to start delivering on our international commitments. The 25 YEP marked a step change in ambition for biodiversity and the wider natural environment in England, addressing many of the emerging themes in the CBD framework, and we are already bringing forward key actions to deliver on that ambition. We are setting a new legal foundation to improve the environment through the Environment Bill and our strengthened Agriculture and Fisheries Acts. We are investing in nature restoration and in nature-based solutions to tackle biodiversity loss and climate change and to safeguard green jobs, for example through our Nature for Climate and Green Recovery Challenge funds. We are developing a new Environmental Land Management scheme that will reward farmers and land managers for delivering environmental public goods, and we are extending protection on land and sea. We will set out further plans over the coming year.

Supermarkets: Coronavirus

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to (a) encourage supermarkets to prioritise shielding customers and (b) discourage increases in costs of at-home deliveries.

Victoria Prentis: (a) Defra is continuing to work closely with supermarkets to provide clinically extremely vulnerable individuals in England with priority access to supermarket delivery slots. When the tiered system was in operation, any clinically extremely vulnerable person living in a Tier Three or Tier Four local area who did not already have priority access to delivery slots was still able to register for this support through the GOV.UK website: www.gov.uk/coronavirus-shielding-support.During the third lockdown, all clinically extremely vulnerable people are able to register for priority access to delivery slots with seven supermarkets: Asda, Iceland, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury's, Tesco, Waitrose. All clinically extremely vulnerable individuals who have registered through GOV.UK will retain their priority access to delivery slots until at least March 2021.(b) Defra is continuing to hold regular conversations with each of the seven supermarkets participating in the priority access to online deliveries offer: Asda, Iceland, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury's, Tesco and Waitrose. The department uses these meetings as an opportunity to convey any concerns raised by charities or local authorities around topics such as delivery charges. Although Defra cannot legally dictate the delivery costs charged by supermarkets, our regular conversations ensure that supermarkets understand the impact that delivery charges can have in preventing a clinically extremely vulnerable person from being able to access food.Alongside encouraging supermarkets to consider the impact delivery charges can have on vulnerable people, the department also monitors delivery charges and circulates this information to local authorities to allow them to advise their residents accordingly.

Fisheries: Compensation

Angus Brendan MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the £23 million compensation announced for the fishing industry, how much of that funding will be available to organisations for hiring and training staff for customs declarations.

Victoria Prentis: The Government has put in place measures to support businesses and to ensure that exports keep moving. The £23 million announced for the fishing industry will provide financial support towards verifiable losses incurred by seafood exporting businesses.

Tuna: Fishing Catches

Scott Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the UK's bluefin tuna quota as a result of the EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, if he will take steps to increase that quota as part of a scientific UK catch and release program.

Victoria Prentis: The Trade and Cooperation Agreement reached with the EU secures the UK a share of the EU’s current bluefin tuna allocation. Any further increases to the UK’s quota would need to be secured via negotiations in the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). In addition to national quotas held by its contracting parties, ICCAT makes a small, separate ‘Research Mortality Allowance’ quota available for specific research purposes that meet strict criteria. RMA supports the delivery of the multiyear ‘Thunnus UK’ tuna tagging programme led by Cefas and the University of Exeter. The UK will be applying for continued access to the RMA to continue this work in 2021. No decisions have yet been taken on how to use the UK’s new national quota. Stakeholders will be consulted on potential options in due course.

Angling: Tuna

Sir Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has received representations on the establishment of a recreational sea angling live release fishery for bluefin tuna; and if he will make a statement.

Victoria Prentis: Yes, Defra has received such representations. We continue to work closely with stakeholders, regulators (the Marine Management Organisation, and Inshore Fisheries Conservation Authorities) and scientists, to explore whether it would be possible to support a recreational scientific bluefin tuna research, catch and release tagging programme in English waters. The Trade and Cooperation Agreement reached with the EU secures the UK a share of the EU’s current bluefin tuna allocation. No decisions have yet been taken on how to use the UK’s new national quota. Stakeholders will be consulted on potential options in due course.

Fishing Vessels

Liz Twist: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has for the management of (a) supertrawlers and (b) supertrawler fleets under the the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement; and if he will make a statement.

Victoria Prentis: We are reviewing our policies for these vessels operating in UK waters. Any action taken will align with the UK/EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement and must be evidence-based.

Parliamentary Works Sponsor Body

Palace of Westminster: Repairs and Maintenance

Karin Smyth: To ask the Right hon. Member for East Hampshire, representing the Parliamentary Works Sponsor Body, what the timetable is for the publication of the Strategic Review on Renewal and Restoration.

Damian Hinds: The Sponsor Body has been analysing various options as part of its Strategic Review. Engagement with Parliamentary bodies on this is ongoing, and the Review analysis will be published in due course. Meanwhile, the Programme continues its work on developing the Outline Business Case, including the vital surveys of the building's condition.

Palace of Westminster: Repairs and Maintenance

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the right hon. Member for East Hampshire, representing the Parliamentary Works Sponsor Body, what discussions he has had with (a) Ministers and the (b) House of Commons Commission on the effect of the parliamentary restoration and renewal project on congestion in London.

Damian Hinds: The Restoration and Renewal Programme is currently creating its business case. Part of this work, once the preferred option has been agreed, will be an environmental assessment on both the construction phase and operations of the restored buildings, where impacts will be assessed and mitigations proposed. To date, no specific conversations have been held on congestion, as the business case work is still in its early stages. The Programme is committed to sustainability and to meeting its environmental obligations.

Palace of Westminster: Repairs and Maintenance

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the right hon. Member for East Hampshire, representing the Parliamentary Works Sponsor Body, what steps he is taking to mitigate the effect of the parliamentary restoration and renewal project on roadside air pollution in London.

Damian Hinds: The Restoration and Renewal Programme is currently creating its business case. Part of this work, once the preferred option has been agreed, will be an environmental assessment on both the construction phase and operations of the restored buildings, where impacts will be assessed and mitigations proposed. The Programme is committed to sustainability and to meeting its environmental obligations.